Wil Tirion | |
|---|---|
 Tirion in 2022 | |
| Born | February 19, 1943 |
| Died | July 5, 2024 (aged 81) |
| Notable work |
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Wil Tirion (19 February 1943 – 5 July 2024) was a Dutch uranographer (celestial cartographer). His work, which included star charts and atlases, was widely distributed and renowned by astronomers.[1][2]
Originally a graphic designer, Tirion became a full-time celestial cartographer after the success of his first star atlas, Sky Atlas 2000.0, published in 1981.[1] His second major work, Uranometria 2000.0, contained over 280,000 stars and 10,000 deep-sky objects across two volumes and was published by Willmann-Bell in 1987.[1][2] Tirion's sky charts have also been published in astronomy magazines and books, as well as on astronomy websites.[1]
Tirion's early work was largely done by hand, with computer-generated plots as references. In the mid-1990s, he switched to digital illustration.[1]
Tirion died on 5 July 2024 at the age of 81 after a brief illness.[1][2] The asteroid 4648 Tirion is named for him.[2]