1. Jean-Claude Pecker was a French astronomer, astrophysicist and author, member of the French Academy of Sciences and director of the Nice Observatory.
19 Facts About Jean-Claude Pecker
1. 2.
Jean-Claude Pecker served as the secretary-general of the International Astronomical Union from 1964 to 1967.
3.
Jean-Claude Pecker was awarded the Prix Jules Janssen by the French Astronomical Society in 1967.
4.
Jean-Claude Pecker was a vocal opponent of astrology and pseudo-science and was the president of the Association francaise pour l'information scientifique, a skeptical organisation which promotes scientific enquiry in the face of quackery and obscurantism.
5.
Jean-Claude Pecker was born 10 May 1923, in Reims, to Victor-Noel Pecker and Nelly Catherine nee Hermann, in the department of Marne, France.
6.
The grandson of Joseph Hermann, rabbi of Valenciennes and later Reims, Jean-Claude Pecker was born in his maternal grandparents' house, moving later to Bordeaux.
7.
Jean-Claude Pecker studied at the Lycee Michel de Montaigne de Bordeaux but was forced to go into hiding during the Second World War.
8.
From 1952 to 1955 Jean-Claude Pecker was associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Clermont-Ferrand.
9.
In 1963 Jean-Claude Pecker became professor of theoretical astrophysics at the College de France in Paris, a position he held until 1988 when he became honorary professor.
10.
Jean-Claude Pecker was known for questioning the standard Big Bang theory, positing "alternative but partial solutions" and was signatory, with 33 other scientists, to an open letter to the scientific community expressing concern over the dominance of the Big Bang and expansion of the Universe theories.
11.
Jean-Claude Pecker was associate member of the Royal Society of Science, associate of the Royal Astronomical Society, member of the National Academy of Bordeaux, the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and honorary associate of Rationalist International, member of the Academia Europaea and sat on the international advisory board of the Institute for Science and Human Values.
12.
Jean-Claude Pecker was a member of the International Astronomical Union.
13.
Jean-Claude Pecker wrote and co-wrote many books and over 700 academic papers on subjects such as cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics, human rights, pseudo-science, poetry and art.
14.
Jean-Claude Pecker wrote popular science articles and books for the general public, some of which have been translated into other languages.
15.
Jean-Claude Pecker was vice-president of the French UNESCO committee in 1990, afterwards becoming a French permanent representative to UNESCO on behalf of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, an organisation which reflected his humanist approach to his life's work.
16.
Jean-Claude Pecker spoke out against the governments punitive immigration laws, publicly supporting the National Coordination of Sans Papiers organisation.
17.
Jean-Claude Pecker was awarded the International Humanist Award for services to Humanism from the International Humanist and Ethical Union in 2005 and acted as a permanent representative to UNESCO on behalf of the IHEU.
18.
Jean-Claude Pecker was a laureate of the International Academy of Humanism.
19.
Jean-Claude Pecker married Charlotte Wimel in 1947 with whom he had three children: Martine Kemeny, Daniel and Laure.