About Jean Dufay
Lived 1896 – 1967 (aged 71). Jean Dufay was a French astronomer and astrophysicist.
Jean Claude Barthélemy Dufay (; July 18, 1896–November 6, 1967) was a French astronomer.
During his career he studied nebulae, interstellar matter, the night sky and cometary physics. In 1925, while working in collaboration with Jean Cabannes, he computed the altitude of the Earth's ozone layer. He was named the honorary director of the Lyon Observatory. Some of his proteges who worked with him in the observatory included Marie Bloch and Charles Fehrenbach. He became a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1963.
His undergrad was completed in 1913 and his Ph.D. in 1928 under Charles Fabry and Jean Cabannes. In between, he served (and was wounded) in World War I and taught. Dufay was appointed to the Lyon Observatory in 1929 and stayed there until his retirement in 1966.
He was awarded the Valz Prize by the French Academy of Sciences in 1932 for his work on astronomical photometry. The crater Dufay on the Moon is named after him.
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Important facts
People in Jean Dufay's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jean Dufay's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jean Dufay?
French astronomer (1896-1967)
When was Jean Dufay born?
Jean Dufay was born on 18 July 1896 in Blois.
When did Jean Dufay die?
Jean Dufay died on 6 November 1967 in Chaponost.
What was Jean Dufay's occupation?
Jean Dufay was an astronomer and astrophysicist.
What nationality was Jean Dufay?
Jean Dufay was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jean Dufay. https://biography.guide/jean-dufay/
MLA: "Jean Dufay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jean-dufay/.
Chicago: "Jean Dufay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jean-dufay/.
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