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Georges Rayet

1839 – 1906

French astronomer

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About Georges Rayet

Lived 1839 – 1906 (aged 66). Georges Rayet was a French astronomer.

Georges-Antoine-Pons Rayet (12 December 1839 – 14 June 1906) was a French astronomer.

He was born in Bordeaux, France. He began working at the Paris Observatory in 1863. He worked on meteorology in addition to astronomy. He specialized in what was then the new field of spectroscopy.

He was the founder and director of the Bordeaux Observatory for more than 25 years until his death.

Rayet discovered Wolf–Rayet stars together with Charles Wolf in 1867 using a spectroscope the pair had made with an emission spectrum, rather than using absorption spectroscopy which was more typical for the time.

He was awarded the Janssen Medal from the French Academy of Sciences in 1891.

Obituaries AN 172 (1906) 111//112 (in French) ApJ 25 (1906) 53 Obs 29 (1906) 332 (one paragraph) PASP 18 (1906) 280 (one sentence)

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
École Normale Supérieure
Awards
Janssen Medal
Also known as
Georges-Antoine-Pons Rayet

People in Georges Rayet's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Georges Rayet's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Georges Rayet?

French astronomer (1839–1906)

When was Georges Rayet born?

Georges Rayet was born on 12 December 1839 in Bordeaux.

When did Georges Rayet die?

Georges Rayet died on 14 June 1906 in Bordeaux.

What was Georges Rayet's occupation?

Georges Rayet was an astronomer.

What nationality was Georges Rayet?

Georges Rayet was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Georges Rayet

· Wikidata: Q499187

· DBpedia: Georges Rayet

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Georges Rayet. https://biography.guide/georges-rayet/

MLA: "Georges Rayet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/georges-rayet/.

Chicago: "Georges Rayet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/georges-rayet/.

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