Beatrice Muriel Hill Tinsley (January 27, 1941 - March 23, 1981) was a New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist whose research made fundamental contributions to the astronomical understanding of how galaxies evolve with time.
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She was born Beatrice Hill in Chester, England in 1941, and emigrated to New Zealand with her family following World War II. The family lived first in Christchurch, and then for a longer time in New Plymouth, a small city on the west coast of the North Island, where she attended New Plymouth Girls' High School.
Tinsley studied at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she first completed a B.Sc. and then a Master of Science degree in 1961, which she was awarded with First Class Honours in Physics.
Tinsley then moved to the United States, to Austin, Texas, with her husband, physicist and former university classmate Brian Tinsley. Her PhD was awarded by the University of Texas in Austin in 1966, with the thesis Evolution of Galaxies and its Significance for Cosmology.
Shortly after, she became a professor of astronomy at Yale University.
Tinsley completed pioneering theoretical studies of how populations of stars age and affect the observable qualities of galaxies. She also collaborated on basic research into models investigating whether the universe is closed or open. Her galaxy models led to the first approximation of what protogalaxies should look like.
In 1974 she received the American Astronomical Society's Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy, awarded for "outstanding research and promise for future research by a postdoctoral woman researcher", in recognition of her work on galaxy evolution.[1]
In 1977, Tinsley, with Richard Larson of Yale, organised a conference on 'The Evolution of Galaxies and Stellar Populations'.
Her career was cut short by her death at the age of 40, on 23 March 1981, due to cancer. Her last scientific paper, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal ten days before, was published posthumously that November, without revision.[2][note 1]
In 1986 the American Astronomical Society established the Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize, which recognizes "an outstanding research contribution to astronomy or astrophysics, of an exceptionally creative or innovative character."[3] The award is not made with restriction on a candidate's citizenship or country of residency.[3]
The main-belt asteroid 3087 Beatrice Tinsley, discovered in 1981 at Mt John University Observatory near Tekapo, is also named after her.[4]
The University of Texas at Austin established from endowment in 1989 the Beatrice M. Tinsley Centennial Visiting Professorship, where a distinguished mid career or senior professor is invited to visit for up to a semester.[5] In 2007 they added the Tinsley Scholars, awards for younger researchers to briefly visit Austin.[5]
In 2005, the Circa Theatre in Wellington produced a play called Bright Star, about the life of Beatrice Tinsley.[6] The Wellington Astronomical Society held telescope viewing sessions outside the theatre, on the wharf next to Te Papa.
In September 2009 the Physics and Astronomy Department of the University of Canterbury established the Beatrice Tinsley Institute, which encompasses their research programs, scientific facilities, education and degree programs for astronomy and astrophysics.[7]
A proposal is under consideration by the New Zealand Geographic Board to name a mountain in Fiordland's Kepler Mountains (which are named for the astronomer Johannes Kepler) as Mt Tinsley.[8]
Other biographies:
Other material:
   | Astronomical Society of the Pacific - History of Women in Astronomy: Beatrice M. Tinsley |
| | New Zealand Heroes - The New Zealand Edge : Heroes : Scientists : Beatrice Tinsley : www.nzedge.com |
| | Bright Star at Sharing Space - astronomy.net.nz |
| | Texas History - 404 NOT FOUND -- Texas State Historical Association - - Error - |
| | Bibliography - ASP: Women in Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide to Materials in English |
| | Oral History interview transcript with Beatrice Tinsley 14 June 1977, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives - Oral History Transcript — Beatrice Tinsley |
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