de Vaucouleurs, Gérard Henri (1918–1995)
French-born American astronomer whose survey of bright, relatively nearby
galaxies led to the discovery of the Local
Supercluster. In his influential Physics of the Planet Mars (1954)
he adopted a cautious position on the question of martian life, arguing
that while low forms of vegetation remained a possibility (see Mars,
vegetation), the "overwhelming majority" of terrestrial organisms would
not be able to survive there. However, he pointed out that a second school
of thought in the 1950s was more optimistic and emphasized the adaptability
of life.
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• ASTRONOMERS
AND ASTROPHYSICISTS
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