1. Liisi Oterma studied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Turku, and soon became Yrjo Vaisala's assistant and worked on the search for minor planets.
10 Facts About Liisi Oterma
1. 2.
From 1941 to 1965, Oterma worked as an observer at the university's observatory.
3.
Liisi Oterma obtained her PhD in 1955 with a dissertation on telescope optics.
4.
Liisi Oterma was the first Finnish woman to obtain a PhD in astronomy.
5.
In 1959, Liisi Oterma became a docent of astronomy and from 1965 to 1978 a professor in University of Turku.
6.
Liisi Oterma was interested in languages and spoke German, French, Italian, Spanish, Esperanto, Hungarian, English and Arabic, for example.
7.
Liisi Oterma was quiet, modest in nature, and fearful of publicity.
8.
Liisi Oterma avoided appearing in photographs, and there are only a handful of pictures of her.
9.
Liisi Oterma is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 54 minor planets between 1938 and 1953, and ranks 153rd on MPC's all-time discovery chart.
10.
The Hildian asteroid 1529 Liisi Oterma, discovered by Finnish astronomer Yrjo Vaisala in 1938, was named in her honour.