Fritz Zwicky Biography and Timeline

Birth of Fritz Zwicky

Birth of Fritz Zwicky

Dark Matter

Able to infer the average mass of galaxies within the cluster, and obtained a value about 160 times greater than expected from their luminosity, and proposed that most of the matter was dark

Dark Matter

Fritz Zwicky is the first to use the virial theorem to infer the existence of unseen matter, which he refers to as dunkle Materie dark matter.

Dark Matter

He estimated that there was about 400 times more mass than was visually observable. While examining the Coma galaxy cluster in 1933, Zwicky was the first to use the virial theorem to infer the existence of unseen matter, what is now called dark matter.

Dark Matter

Zwicky applies the virial theorem to the Coma cluster of galaxies and obtained evidence of unseen mass.

Dark Matter

Zwicky estimated the clusters total mass based on the motions of galaxies near its edge and compared that estimate to one based on the number of galaxies and total brightness of the cluster.

Virial Theorem

While examining the Coma galaxy cluster in 1933, Zwicky was the first to use the virial theorem to infer the existence of unseen matter, what is now called dark matter

Dark Matter

Infers unseen mass in the Coma Cluster from galaxy velocities.

Role range: 1898-1974

Discovery of Supernova

Zwicky and Baade coin the term "supernova" and hypothesized that they were the transition of normal stars into neutron stars, as well as the origin of cosmic rays. In support of this hypothesis, Zwicky started hunting for supernovae, and found a total of 120 by himself (and one more, SN 1963J, in concert with Paul Wild) over a stretch of 52 years

Schmidt Telescopes

Together with colleague Walter Baade, Zwicky pioneered and promoted the use of the first Schmidt telescopes used in a mountain-top observatory in 1935

Discovery of Supernova

Zwicky posited that galaxy clusters could act as gravitational lenses by the previously discovered Einstein effect

Gravitational Lensing

Argues that galaxies could act as gravitational lenses.

Role range: 1898-1974

Discovery of Supernova

Zwickys colleague Walter Baade proposed using supernovae as standard candles to estimate distances in deep space

Hubbles Law

When Edwin Hubble discovered a linear relationship between the distance to a galaxy and its redshift expressed as a velocity, Zwicky speculated that the effect was due not to motions of the galaxy, but to the slowing down of photons

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Truman awarded Zwicky the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for work on rocket propulsion during World War II

Death of Fritz Zwicky

Death of Fritz Zwicky