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proper motion

(Encyclopedia)proper motion, in astronomy, apparent movement of a star on the celestial sphere, usually measured as seconds of arc per year; it is due both to the actual relative motions of the sun and the star thr...

Quetelet, Adolphe

(Encyclopedia)Quetelet, Adolphe ädôlfˈ kĕtəlāˈ [key], 1796–1874, Belgian statistician and astronomer. He was the first director (1828) of the Royal Observatory at Brussels. As supervisor of statistics for ...

Balkash, lake, Kazakhstan

(Encyclopedia)Balkash, lake, 6,562 sq mi (16,996 sq km), c.350 mi (560 km) long, maximum width c.45 mi (70 km), in E Kazakhstan. The lake, which has an average depth of 20 ft (6 m), stretches from the Kazakh Upland...

Gwynn, Tony

(Encyclopedia)Gwynn, Tony (Anthony Keith Gwynn), 1960–2014, American baseball player and coach, b. Los Angeles. He played baseball and basketball at San Diego State Univ., and had a record 590 career assists as a...

Speaker, Tris

(Encyclopedia)Speaker, Tris (Tristram Speaker), 1888–1958, American baseball player, b. Hubbard, Tex. He started (1906) in organized baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Cleburne team of the North Texas Leag...

Brock, Lou

(Encyclopedia)Brock, Lou (Louis Clark Brock), 1939–2020, American baseball player, b. El Dorado, Ark. A left-handed outfielder best known for his extraordinary base running skill, Brock was signed by the Chicago ...

Berg, Patty

(Encyclopedia)Berg, Patty (Patricia Jane Berg), 1918–2006, American golfer, b. Minneapolis, Minn. She was a leading amateur during the 1930s, winning 29 titles before turning professional in 1940. After serving i...

Campbell, Donald Malcolm

(Encyclopedia)Campbell, Donald Malcolm, 1921–67, British automobile and boat racer. The son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, from whom he inherited his passion for assaulting speed records and his mechanical inclinations...

Williams, Ted

(Encyclopedia)Williams, Ted (Theodore Samuel Williams), 1918–2002, American baseball player, b. San Diego, Calif. At the age of 17 he began playing professional ball with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast...

Nicklaus, Jack William

(Encyclopedia)Nicklaus, Jack William, 1940–, American golfer, b. Columbus, Ohio. He began playing golf at the age of 10 and before becoming a professional in late 1961 was considered by many the greatest amateur ...