Fred L. Whipple - Obituary

Fred Lawrence Whipple, one of the last giants of 20 century astronomy, passed away on 30 August at the age of 97 following prolonged illness. He was Phillips Professor of Astronomy Emeritus at Harvard University and a Senior Physicist at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory(SAO).'Fred Whipple was one of those rare individuals who affected our lives in many ways. He predicted the coming age of satellites, he revolutionized the study of comets and as Director of the SAO, he helped form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics',says Charles Alcock, present Director of the Center