Date of Birth: 
About Zhang Yuzhe
- Zhang Yuzhe (Chinese: ???; 16 February 1902 ā 21 July 1986), also known as Yu-Che Chang, was a Chinese astronomer and director of the Purple Mountain Observatory who is widely regarded as the father of modern Chinese astronomy.
- He studied the light curves of asteroids, and thus their rotation periods.
- He also researched the variable star CZ Cassiopeiae and the evolution of the orbit of Comet Halley.
- Zhang discovered 3 comets and is credited under the name Y.
- C.
- Chang by the Minor Planet Center for the discovery of one minor planet, the outer main-belt asteroid 3789 Zhongguo.Zhang was born in Minhou, Fujian province in 1902.
- In 1919, he gained entrance to Tsinghua University.
- Graduating in 1923, he traveled to the United States where he began graduate studies at the University of Chicago in 1925, receiving his Ph.D.
- in 1929.
- Later that year, he returned to China and accepted a teaching post at the National Central University in Nanjing, China (now known as Nanjing University). While pursuing his Ph.D.
- at the University of Chicago in 1928, Zhang discovered an asteroid which was given the provisional designation 1928 UF and later the number 1125.
- He named it "China" or "??" (ZhonghuĆ”).
- However, this asteroid was "lost" as it was not observed beyond its initial appearance and a precise orbit could not be calculated (see lost asteroids).
- In 1957, while Zhang was director of the Purple Mountain Observatory in China, the observatory discovered a new asteroid.
- With his agreement the new object 1957 UN1 was reassigned the official designation 1125 China in place of the lost 1928 UF.
- However, in 1986, the newly discovered object 1986 QK1 was confirmed to be a rediscovery of the original 1928 UF, and this object was named 3789 Zhongguo ("??" (ZhongguĆ³) is the Mandarin Chinese word for "China", in pinyin transliteration, whereas ZhonghuĆ” is a slightly older word for "China"). From 1941 to 1950, Zhang was head of the astronomy research institute at National Central University.
- Between 1946 and 1948, he returned to the United States to study variable stars.
- In 1950 Zhang became the director of the Purple Mountain Observatory, a position he held until 1984.
- In 1955 he was elected a member, or academician, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Zhang devoted himself to observing and calculating the orbits of minor planets and comets.
- Many asteroids were discovered at Purple Mountain Observatory, as well as three new comets: two periodic, 60P/Tsuchinshan (Tsuchinshan 2) and 62P/Tsuchinshan (Tsuchinshan 1), and one non-periodic, C/1977 V1.
- Tsuchinshan is the Wade-Giles transliteration corresponding to the pinyin Zijin Shan, which is Mandarin Chinese for "Purple Mountain", named after the observatory he oversaw. The lunar crater Zhang Yuzhe and the main-belt asteroid 2051 Chang are named after him.
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