Richard Prager
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'''Richard A. Prager''' (November 30, 1883–July 20, [[1945]]) was a [[Germany|German]]-[[United States|American]] [[astronomer]].
He was born in [[Hannover, Germany]]. He became an assistant in the German [[Academy of Sciences]] in 1908. The following year he became head of the ''Observatorio Nacional'' in [[Santiago, Chile]],<ref name=kh>Hentschel, Klaus (ed.) (1996). ''Physics and National Socialism: An Anthology of Primary Sources'', p. 117, fn. 6. Birkhauser. ISBN 3764353120.</ref> where he remained until 1913. He then returned to [[Berlin]], becoming an observer at the Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory.<ref name=kh/> In 1916 he became a professor.
He was an early pioneer of stellar photoelectric [[Photometry (astronomy)|photometry]]. He is noted for his work in the field of [[variable star]]s,<ref name=kh/> and he made numerous contributions to ''Astronomische Nachrichten'' on this topic.
In 1938 he was imprisoned by the German [[Nazism|Nazis]]. His friends in [[England]] obtained his release in 1939, and he moved to the [[United States]] where he accepted a position at the [[Harvard Observatory]]. However his health had suffered from his imprisonment and from his separation from his family, and he died only six years later.
[[Prager (crater)|Prager crater]] on the [[Moon]] is named in his honor.
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[[Category:1907 births]]
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[[Category:German astronomers]]
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