Dr Mart de Groot, 1938-2025
On 9 October 2025 Dr Mart de Groot passed away at his home in Richhill, Armagh. Dr de Groot stood as the 8th Director of the Armagh Observatory between 1976 and 1994, stewarding the institution through troubled times and celebrating the two hundredth anniversary in 1990.
Mart de Groot was born on 13th November 1938, in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father was Anton de Groot, and his mother Johanna Degent. Entering the University of Utrecht in 1959, he studied Mathematics and Physics, with a minor in Astronomy. His attention was soon captured by the cosmos, and he became particularly interested in Stellar Evolution and began a life-long love of the star P Cygni. He received his PhD from University of Utrecht in 1969, and then spent the following years in the Southern Hemisphere.
From 1970-1976 he was the Resident Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, high in the remote mountains. This remoteness did not prevent him, and his growing family, from the turbulence that gripped that country during the period, but he observed it prepared him well for the role he took thereafter.
Mart and Wilhelmina de Groot, in front of the Seal of the Armagh Observatory which they made together for the 1990 Bicentennial Celebrations.
Arriving in 1976, he spent the first month of his Directorship of the Armagh Observatory preparing the home for his family with his own hands, making beds and furniture himself. He married Wilhelmina in 1964, and their marriage was one of the greatest joys of his life. His family included five children when he arrived, and a sixth during his Directorship. He was the last of the Directors of the Armagh Observatory to live in the building. During his tenure he increased the staff of Astronomers and instituted the programme of PhD students, which continues to this day with nearly 100 hundred students having graduated so far.
Mart began planning for the Bicentenary celebrations of the Armagh Observatory in 1990 almost as soon as he took up his position as Director. He also worked with the late Dr Jim Bennett to see the most complete history of the institution Church, State and Astronomy released alongside John McFarland and Dr John Butler. The year 1990 saw over sixty events to celebrate the occasion including a touring exhibition of the Troughton Equatorial Telescope, then the oldest telescope in the world still located in its original dome. The restoration of the telescope, and the dome, remains one of the greatest achievements of his Directorship.
Having overseen the growth of the institution in terms of staff, and the introduction of students, he was also the last of the long line of Directors to live in the institution. In 1988, he and his family moved to Richhill. Thereafter the Observatory living quarters were converted into much needed office spaces to accommodate the burgeoning staff he led.
In 1994 he retired from the post of Director, having served in the office for eighteen years. He remained on the staff of the Armagh Observatory as a researcher until 2000. In that same year he returned to his life-long astronomical interest and hosted ‘P Cygni 2000: 400 Years of Progress’, an international conference that was exceptionally well received.
In 1997 he became the Pastor to Belfast and Larne Seventh Day Adventist Churches having served as a lay preacher and lay elder for many years prior. His faith had been a prominent part of his life as much as his scientific endeavors, and he relished the opportunity to serve in both capacities throughout his career.
Mart de Groot, former Director of Armagh Observatory; Professor Michael Burton, Director AOP and Mark Bailey, former Director of Armagh Observatory. Armagh Planetarium 50th Celebrations. Armagh Planetarium Armagh Co.Armagh
1 May 2018 CREDIT: www.LiamMcArdle.com
Professor Mark Bailey, Emeritus Director, noted that ‘He always found it a pleasure working with him and chatting with him about astronomy’.
Professor Michael Burton, current Director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, said: “Mart de Groot was a visionary leader who combined a passion for science with a deep respect for the legacy of Armagh Observatory. His commitment to innovation, research, and education has shaped the institution we know today. The Observatory’s thriving postgraduate programme and its international standing are a testament to his enduring influence. We are proud to continue the work he so passionately advanced.”
In recent years he has remained a close friend of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, having supported the work of the heritage team through Oral History Interviews, and attended many events such as the 50th Anniversary of the Armagh Planetarium.
It seems only fitting to close by noting the description of Mart de Groot given by Professor Ernst Julius Öpik, upon his appointment as Director of the Armagh Observatory, a description which proved as true as it was perceptive.
I am personally deeply impressed by the atmosphere of friendliness, of a humanitarian, religious and philosophical approach surrounding our new Director.
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