Rene Root

See also: Root

Rene Racine is a Astronome and Professor Québécois which was born with Quebec in 1939. It obtains its baccalaureat of the Université Laval, in Quebec, in 1963, then its control in 1965 and its doctorate in 1967 of the Université of Toronto. It takes down then a research grant of the Carnegie Institute and spends the two following years (of 1967 to 1969) to the observatories of the Mont Wilson and Mont Palomar|Palomar close to Pasadena, in California.

Root specializes then in the study of the globular clusters. In 1969, he becomes professor at the department of astronomy and astrophysics of the University of Toronto. As of its arrival, he proposes, with Sidney van den Bergh and Robert F. Garrison, to establish the new astronomical observatory of the University of Toronto with Las Campanas, in Chile. The telescope of 60 centimetres sees its first light in 1971 and Racine the team of a new photometer of its design.

In 1976, he becomes professor of astronomy at the department of physics of the University of Montreal. He is named the same year director of the Observatoire of the Mount Mégantic, station which he preserves until 1980. Besides root will play a key function in the creation of the new observatory.

In 1980, it is named director of the Company of the telescope Canada-France-Hawaii (TCFH). The weather works then with the improvement of the quality of the images provided by the telescope, by being the best in the world for this reason, while continuing his research tasks in astronomy. In 1984, it leaves the direction of the TCFH and takes again that of the Observatoire of the Mount Mégantic, station which it will occupy until 1997.

During years which follow, it develops of many instruments of astronomy. Its efforts are rewarded again when, in 1994, he arrives, with five other collaborators, with recalibrer the value of the Constante of Hubble, fundamental parameter of the cosmology which is useful, inter alia, to measure the extragalactic distances, the size and the age of the Universe.

In 1997, it takes its retirement as full professor and directing of the Observatoire of the Mount Mégantic and becomes professor emeritus with the Université of Montreal.

Its interest of research covers also the astronomical instrumentation and the adaptive Optique.

The first Astéroïde discovered in Quebec (45580) 2000 CB81 bears the name Reneracine in its honor.

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