author
Daniel Kirkwood
1814–1895
Best remembered for uncovering the mysterious gaps in the asteroid belt that now bear his name, he helped show how gravity shapes the solar system. His work also linked meteor showers to streams of cosmic debris, making him one of the notable American astronomers of the 19th century.
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About the author
Daniel Kirkwood was an American astronomer and mathematician born in Maryland in 1814. He studied mathematics at the York County Academy in Pennsylvania, then taught and led schools before holding academic posts at Delaware College and Indiana University.
He is most famous for identifying the "Kirkwood gaps" in the asteroid belt, regions where asteroids are scarce because of Jupiter's gravitational influence. He also wrote about Saturn's rings and offered early, important evidence that meteor showers come from debris left by disintegrating comets.
Later in life, Kirkwood taught at the University of Pennsylvania and remained active in astronomy until his death in 1895. His reputation rests on a gift for finding large patterns in the heavens and explaining them with clear mathematical insight.