Wang Sichao

Wang Sichao (; 1937 – 17 June 2016) was a Chinese astronomer and scholar. Between 1963 and 1999, he was a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing. Wang researched asteroids, meteors, comets, and unidentified flying objects.

Early life and education Wang was born in 1937 in Rong County in Guangxi. His ancestral hometown is in Guangzhou in Guangdong. China News Service said Wang's research "achieved important results". On one occasion, the popular science writer Fang Zhouzi stated that Wang had not provided proof for his claims. Through email, Wang reached out to people in China who had seen UFOs to work with them to investigate the UFOs.

China News Service called him "a well-known astronomy education expert in China". He taught about planetary science, Small Solar System bodies, meteorites, and the search for extraterrestrial life. He wrote popular science books and frequently appeared on television shows. During the Internet era, he started Sina Weibo and WeChat accounts through which he shared information about astronomy.

Personal life and death To fund his child's or children's overseas education, Wang borrowed 300,000 yuan (US$). He put on pause the self-funded Big Dipper Observation Award , which he had created in 2007 to raise awareness of UFOs, so that he could repay the education loan.

Wang died on 17 June 2016 in Nanjing at the age of 77 after a cerebral haemorrhage. His funeral was held on 19 June at the Nanjing Funeral Parlor in the Xitian Temple .