Virpi Niemelä

Virpi Sinikka Niemelä (Helsinki, 26 Dizember 1936 - Argentinae, 18 Dizember 2006) wis a leadin Finnish Argentine astronomer. She wis the seicont Argentine tae be electit for Associate o the Royal Astronomical Society.

Born in Helsinki, Finland, she emigratit wi her faimily tae Argentinae in 1954. She became a citizen, marriet an haed twa sons.

She became a student o Jorge Sahade, got a PhD in 1974, an for her whole career collaboratit wi him. Her wirk haes haed a strang influence in the auries o massive starns an close binaries, especially Wolf-Rayet starns. She pioneered wirk on Wolf-Rayet starns in the Magellanic Clouds, massive starns in stellar associations an interstellar bubbles aroond massive starns. She helpit tae develop astronomie in Argentinae an aw, inspirin mony students.

Tae mark her seiventiet birthday, an internaitional wirkshop on massive starns wis held in Carilo on 11-14 December 2006. Durin the wirkshop, it wis annooncit that asteroid 5289 would be named Niemela in her honour. Housomeivver, she dee'd juist afore her birthday, o breast cancer.

References

• Obituary, Astronomy and Geophysics, June 2007, 48(3) page 3.37