Vera Gaze

Vera Fedorovna Gaze (; 29 December 1899 – 3 October 1954) was a Russian astronomer who studied emission nebula and minor planets. She discovered around 150 new nebulae and was posthumously honored by the minor planet 2388 Gaze and the Gaze Crater on Venus, both of which are named after her.

Early life and education Gaze was born on 29 December (17 December O.S.) 1899 (N.S.) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Between 1921 and 1926, she worked at the Astronomical Institute of Leningrad (forerunner to the ) and studied at the Petrograd University. She graduated in 1924, and in 1926 went to work at the Pulkovo Observatory.

Career She participated in the 1929 gravimetric survey expedition and the 1936 expedition to observe the total solar eclipse. The 1936 eclipse crossed the Soviet territory and could only be viewed within the USSR. Nearly 30 international expeditions traveled to Russia on June 19 for the observations which were visible for two hours. Between 1936 and 1940, Gaze was a victim of "political repression", which stemmed from an incident bringing unfavorable publicity to the Pulkovo Observatory. In 1935, she had discovered that a report she had been given to translate into English, made by Nikolai Mikhailovich, Voronov contained errors in its calculations. Voronov was a rising star and had published a paper on the theories of the motion of small planets. He was offered a position at the Pulkovo Observatory on the basis of that paper and produced another, calculating the ephemeris of 13 Egeria. It was in this paper that Gaze found the error and reported it to her superior. When questioned, Voronov admitted that he had not used his theory in making the calculations, but had estimated the locations of the planet. The scandal caused him to be fired, but was picked up by the press and all who were involved were arrested. Gaze was suspected of helping him since she had translated several of his papers. She was eventually released when signed testimony against her could not be obtained.

Death and legacy Gaze died on 3 October 1954 in Leningrad and was buried at the memorial cemetery for astronomers, near the Pulkovo Observatory outside Saint Petersburg.

Posthumously, a minor planet, 2388 Gaze, discovered in 1977 was named after her, as was the Gaze Crater on Venus.

Selected works