Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was a pioneering theoretical astrophysicist whose foundational work transformed our understanding of stellar structure and evolution. Born on October 19, 1910 in Lahore, India (now Pakistan), he earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Presidency College in Madras before pursuing graduate studies at the University of Cambridge under a Government of India scholarship. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1933, he joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1937, where he remained for nearly six decades until his death. Chandrasekhar became a U.S. citizen in 1953 and held the distinguished position of Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Astrophysics, establishing himself as one of the most influential theoretical astrophysicists of the twentieth century.
Chandrasekhar's most celebrated contribution was his theoretical determination of the maximum mass limit for white dwarf stars, now known as the Chandrasekhar limit (1.44 solar masses), which fundamentally reshaped astrophysics by explaining stellar endpoints. His groundbreaking work demonstrated that stars exceeding this critical mass would continue to collapse into neutron stars or black holes rather than forming stable white dwarfs, a discovery he formulated at age 19 during his voyage to England. His extensive research spanned multiple domains including stellar structure, radiation transfer in stellar atmospheres, hydrodynamic stability, and the mathematical theory of black holes, culminating in his comprehensive 1983 treatise The Mathematical Theory of Black Holes. For these profound theoretical studies of physical processes critical to stellar evolution, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983, sharing the honor with William A. Fowler.
Throughout his illustrious career, Chandrasekhar published ten influential books and approximately 400 scientific papers, establishing rigorous mathematical frameworks that continue to guide modern astrophysics. He served as editor of the Astrophysical Journal for nineteen years, transforming it into a premier publication while mentoring generations of astrophysicists through his exacting standards and intellectual depth. Chandrasekhar supervised at least forty-six doctoral students and presided over approximately one thousand colloquia, leaving an indelible mark on the academic community. His numerous accolades included the Copley Medal in 1984, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1953, and the Royal Medal of the Royal Society in 1962, reflecting his extraordinary contributions across theoretical physics and astronomy.
