Virpi Sinikka Niemela, Finnish-born Argentine astronomer (Helsinki 26 December 1936 – La Plata 18 December 2006)

Authored over 130 papers about massive stars

First to show that stars with Wolf-Rayet emission spectrum display absorption intrinsic lines too

Discovered and analysed spectroscopic orbits of many binary systems with Wolf-Rayet component in Southern Hemisphere

Proposed the analysis of interstellar medium around Theta Muscae in order to find his HI interstellar bubble

With C. Cappa de Nicolauu. The interstellar bubble around Theta Muscae. Astron. J. 89:1398-03, 1984

Studied the Supernova 1983K spectrum before reach its maximum luminosity

With M.T. Ruiz & M.M. Phillips. The supernova 1983k in NGC4699: clues to the nature of type II progenitors. Astrophys. J. 289:52-7, 1985

DISCOVERIES

With W.A. Weidmann, R. Gamen & R.J. Díaz. Discovery of a (WO) central star in the planetary nebula Th-2 A. Astron. Astrophys. 488(1):245-7, 2008

With R.C. Gamen, G.R. Solivella, P. Benaglia, P. Reig & M.J. Coe. Wack 2134 (=WR21A): a new Wolf-Rayet binary (2006)

With W. Weidmann. Discovery of a WO star in the nucleus of the planetary nebula Th-2 A. Bol. Asoc. Argent. Astron. 49:98, 2006

With J.F. Albacete Colombo, N.I. Morrell, G. Rauw, M.F. Corcoran & H. Sana. Optical spectroscopy of X-Mega targets. IV. CDP-59º2636: a new O-type multiple system in the Carina Nebula. Mont. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 336(4):1099-08, 2002

Two new massive binary stars in the Magellanic Clouds (2002)

With M.A. Corti, N.I.Morrell, P.G. Ostrov & G.L. Bosch. Identificación de nuevos miembros del cúmulo abierto Bochum 7. Bol. Asoc. Argent. Astron. 44:60, 2000

With M. Orellana, N. Morrell & R. Barbá. Una nueva binaria de tipo O en Carina. Bol. Asoc. Argent. Astron. 44:39, 2000

With J.F. Albacete Coutinho & N.I. Morrell. CPD-59º2635: Una nueva binaria de tipo O en la Nebulosa de Carina. Bol. Asoc. Argent. Astron. 43:29, 1999

With P.G. Ostrov & N.I. Morrell. Discovery of a stellar association surrounding the massive binary SK-67º105 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (1999)

With P.G. Ostrov & N.I. Morrell. Descubrimiento de una nueva asociación OB em la Gran Nube de Magallanes. Bol. Asoc. Argent. Astron. 42:39, 1998 (A new OB association in the HII region N50 in the LMC)

With J.F. Albacete Colombo & N.I. Morrell. Descubrimiento de un nuevo sistema binario em el cumulo abierto Trumpler 16. Bol. Asoc. Argent. Astron. 42:25, 1998

Revised Wolf-Rayet binary orbits and new binaries (1995)

New Wolf-Rayet binaries (1991)

With N.I. Morrell. LSS3074 – A new double-lined early O-type binary (1990)

HONORS / HONOURS

Elected Member of Royal Astronomical Society

5289 Niemela (Asteroid)