Yrjö Väisälä (September 6, 1891 - July 21, 1971) was a Finnish astronomer and physicist.

[A note on dates: the birth date is most likely a Gregorian calendar date, because although Finland was part of Russia at the time and Russia used the Julian calendar until 1918, the Gregorian calendar continued in official use in Finland because Finland had been part of Sweden when Sweden had converted to the Gregorian calendar in 1753.]

His main contributions were in the field of optics. He developed several methods for measuring the quality of optical elements. This allowed the construction of some of the earliest high-quality Schmidt telescopes. Some historians even claim that Väisälä invented the Schmidt telescope independently, but this has remained an open question. The Schmidt telescopes he built were used at the University of Turku for searches of asteroids and comets. His research group discovered several comets and more than 800 asteroids.

Notably discovered the periodic comets 40P/Vaisala and 139P/Vaisala-Oterma (the latter co-discovered with Liisi Oterma).

A crater on the Moon is named after him, and so is the asteroid 1573 Väisälä.

Asteroids discovered: 128
1391 Carelia February 16 1936
1398 Donnera August 26 1936
1405 Sibelius September 12 1936
1406 Komppa September 13 1936
1407 Lindelöf November 21 1936
1421 Esperanto March 18 1936
1424 Sundmania January 9 1937
1446 Sillanpää January 26 1938
1447 Utra January 26 1938
1448 Lindbladia February 16 1938
1449 Virtanen February 20 1938
1450 Raimonda February 20 1938
1451 Granö February 22 1938
1453 Fennia March 8 1938
1454 Kalevala February 16 1936
1460 Haltia November 24 1937
1462 Zamenhof February 6 1938
1463 Nordenmarkia February 6 1938
1471 Tornio September 16 1938
1472 Muonio October 18 1938
1473 Ounas October 22 1938
1477 Bonsdorffia February 6 1938
1478 Vihuri February 6 1938
1479 Inkeri February 16 1938
1480 Aunus February 18 1938
1483 Hakoila February 24 1938
1488 Aura December 15 1938
1492 Oppolzer March 23 1938
1494 Savo September 16 1938
1495 Helsinki September 21 1938
1496 Turku September 22 1938
1497 Tampere September 22 1938
1498 Lahti September 16 1938
1499 Pori October 16 1938
1500 Jyväskylä October 16 1938
1503 Kuopio December 15 1938
1518 Rovaniemi October 15 1938
1519 Kajaani October 15 1938
1520 Imatra October 22 1938
1521 Seinäjoki October 22 1938
1523 Pieksämäki January 18 1939
1524 Joensuu September 18 1939
1525 Savonlinna September 18 1939
1526 Mikkeli October 7 1939
1527 Malmquista October 18 1939
1529 Oterma January 26 1938
1530 Rantaseppä September 16 1938
1532 Inari September 16 1938
1533 Saimaa January 19 1939
1534 Näsi January 20 1939
1535 Päijänne September 9 1939
1536 Pielinen September 18 1939
1541 Estonia February 12 1939
1542 Schalén August 26 1941
1548 Palomaa March 26 1935
1549 Mikko April 2 1937
1551 Argelander February 24 1938
1552 Bessel February 24 1938
1567 Alikoski April 22 1941
1631 Kopff October 11 1936
1646 Rosseland January 19 1939
1656 Suomi March 11 1942
1659 Punkaharju December 28 1940
1677 Tycho Brahe September 6 1940
1678 Hveen December 28 1940
1696 Nurmela March 18 1939
1699 Honkasalo August 26 1941
1723 Klemola March 18 1936
1740 Paavo Nurmi October 18 1939
1757 Porvoo March 17 1939
1883 Rimito December 4 1942
1928 Summa September 21 1938
1929 Kollaa January 20 1939
1947 Iso-Heikkilä March 4 1935
2020 Ukko March 18 1936
2067 Aksnes February 23 1936
2091 Sampo April 26 1941
2096 Väinö October 18 1939
2194 Arpola April 3 1940
2204 Lyyli March 3 1943
2243 Lönnrot September 25 1941
2258 Viipuri October 7 1939
2292 Seili September 7 1942
2299 Hanko September 25 1941
2333 Porthan March 3 1943
2379 Heiskanen September 21 1941
2397 Lappajärvi February 22 1938
2454 Olaus Magnus September 21 1941
2464 Nordenskiöld January 19 1939
2479 Sodankylä February 6 1942
2486 Metsähovi March 22 1939
2502 Nummela March 3 1943
2512 Tavastia April 3 1940
2535 Hämeenlinna February 17 1939
2638 Gadolin September 19 1939
2639 Planman April 9 1940
2678 Aavasaksa February 24 1938
2679 Kittisvaara October 7 1939
2690 Ristiina February 24 1938
2715 Mielikki October 22 1938
2716 Tuulikki October 7 1939
2733 Hamina February 22 1938
2737 Kotka February 22 1938
2750 Loviisa December 30 1940
2802 Weisell January 19 1939
2820 Iisalmi September 8 1942
2826 Ahti October 18 1939
2885 Palva October 7 1939
2898 Neuvo February 20 1938
2962 Otto December 28 1940
2972 Niilo October 7 1939
3037 Alku January 17 1944
3099 Hergenrother April 3 1940
3166 Klondike March 30 1940
3212 Agricola February 19 1938
3223 Forsius September 7 1942
3272 Tillandz February 24 1938
3281 Maupertuis February 24 1938
3522 Becker September 21 1941
3606 Pohjola September 19 1939
3897 Louhi September 8 1942
4181 Kivi February 24 1938
4266 Waltari December 28 1940
4512 Sinuhe January 20 1939
5073 Junttura March 3 1943
(5153) 1940 GO April 9 1940
(6073) 1939 UB October 18 1939
6572 Carson September 22 1938
fi:Yrjö Väisälä
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