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Grigory Abramovich Shajn

1877 – 1956

Soviet astronomer

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About Grigory Abramovich Shajn

Lived 1877 – 1956 (aged 79). Grigory Abramovich Shajn was a Russian astrophysicist, astronomer and university teacher.

+ Asteroids discovered: 3 1057 Wanda August 16, 1925 1058 Grubba June 22, 1925 1709 Ukraina August 16, 1925

Grigory Abramovich Shajn (April 19, 1892 – August 4, 1956) was a Soviet/Russian astronomer. In modern English transliteration, his surname would be given as Shayn, but his astronomical discoveries are credited under the name G. Shajn. Nonetheless, his last name is sometimes given as Schayn.

He earned a masters degree from Tomsk University in 1920.

He was the husband of Pelageya Shajn (Пелагея Фёдоровна Шайн) née Sannikova (Санникова), who was also a Russian astronomer.

He worked on stellar spectroscopy and the physics of gaseous nebulas. Together with Otto Struve, he studied the rapid rotation of stars of young spectral types and measured the radial velocities of stars. He discovered new gaseous nebulas and the anomalous abundance of 13C in stellar atmospheres.

He became a member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1939, and was also a member of various foreign societies such as the Royal Astronomical Society. From 1945 to 1952 he was the director of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. In 1947, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Copenhagen.

He also discovered a few asteroids. He also co-discovered the non-periodic comet C/1925 F1 (Shajn-Comas Solá), also known as Comet 1925 VI or Comet 1925a. However, the periodic comet 61P/Shajn–Schaldach was co-discovered by his wife rather than by him.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Perm State National Research University, University of Tartu
Positions held
Director
Employers
Perm State National Research University, Tomsk State University, Pulkovo Observatory, Simeiz Observatory
Awards
State Stalin Prize, 1st degree; Order of Lenin; Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
Also known as
Grigory Shajn

People in Grigory Abramovich Shajn's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Grigory Abramovich Shajn's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Grigory Abramovich Shajn?

Soviet astronomer (1892-1956)

When was Grigory Abramovich Shajn born?

Grigory Abramovich Shajn was born on 30 March 1877 in Odesa.

When did Grigory Abramovich Shajn die?

Grigory Abramovich Shajn died on 4 August 1956 in Moscow.

What was Grigory Abramovich Shajn's occupation?

Grigory Abramovich Shajn was an astrophysicist, astronomer and university teacher.

What nationality was Grigory Abramovich Shajn?

Grigory Abramovich Shajn was Russian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Grigory Abramovich Shajn

· Wikidata: Q720719

· DBpedia: Grigory Shajn

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Grigory Abramovich Shajn. https://biography.guide/grigory-abramovich-shajn/

MLA: "Grigory Abramovich Shajn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/grigory-abramovich-shajn/.

Chicago: "Grigory Abramovich Shajn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/grigory-abramovich-shajn/.

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