Astronomer · 1910 CE – 1995 CE

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Biography

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar showed that a white dwarf cannot exceed about 1.4 solar masses — the Chandrasekhar limit — above which gravity wins and the star collapses to a neutron star or black hole. First proposed when he was just 19, the result was famously disputed by Eddington but eventually recognised with the 1983 Nobel Prize.

Scientific contributions

Derived the Chandrasekhar limit for white dwarf mass
Founded much of the theory of stellar structure and evolution
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics (1983)

Awards

Nobel Prize in Physics1983

Knowledge connections

Namesake ofChandra X-ray Observatory
Part ofModern Astronomy
ReceivedNobel Prize in Physics
StudiesBlack Hole
StudiesNeutron Star
StudiesWhite Dwarf
Associated withElectron Degeneracy Pressure

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
The Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Foundation
Official record of Nobel laureates, prize motivations, and award years.

Quick facts

Lifespan: 1910 CE – 1995 CE
Nationality: Indian-American
Era: Modern Astronomy
Fields: Astrophysics
Institutions: University of Chicago; Yerkes Observatory
Awards: Nobel Prize in Physics (1983)

Quality & authority

31%

Unreviewed

Completeness: Complete
Source coverage: Partial
Citation coverage: None
Relationship coverage: Complete
Review coverage: None
Image coverage: None

Curated from authoritative reference sources. See source quality.

Scientific citations

Real, source-backed references — primary papers first, then datasets and institutional sources. Formatted through the citation engine; nothing is fabricated.

Historical referenceSubrahmanyan Chandrasekhar — Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.). Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar — Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Subrahmanyan-Chandrasekhar

@misc{cite:britannica-astronomer-subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar,
  title        = {Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar — Encyclopaedia Britannica},
  organization = {Encyclopaedia Britannica},
  year         = {n.d.},
  url          = {https://www.britannica.com/biography/Subrahmanyan-Chandrasekhar},
  note         = {Biographical and background reference for Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (secondary source).}
}

Historical referenceThe Nobel Prize in Physics 1983

1983

The Nobel Prize

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

The Nobel Prize (1983). The Nobel Prize in Physics 1983. The Nobel Prize. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1983/

@misc{cite:nobel-physics-1983,
  title        = {The Nobel Prize in Physics 1983},
  organization = {The Nobel Prize},
  year         = {1983},
  url          = {https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1983/},
  note         = {Chandrasekhar (structure and evolution of the stars).}
}

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Biography

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

The Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Foundation

Official record of Nobel laureates, prize motivations, and award years.

Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.). Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar — Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Subrahmanyan-Chandrasekhar @misc{cite:britannica-astronomer-subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar, title = {Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar — Encyclopaedia Britannica}, organization = {Encyclopaedia Britannica}, year = {n.d.}, url = {https://www.britannica.com/biography/Subrahmanyan-Chandrasekhar}, note = {Biographical and background reference for Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (secondary source).} }

The Nobel Prize (1983). The Nobel Prize in Physics 1983. The Nobel Prize. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1983/ @misc{cite:nobel-physics-1983, title = {The Nobel Prize in Physics 1983}, organization = {The Nobel Prize}, year = {1983}, url = {https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1983/}, note = {Chandrasekhar (structure and evolution of the stars).} }