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Alexander Aronovich Gurshtein (Russian: Александр Аронович Гурштейн, Aleksandr Aronovich Gurshteyn; February 21, 1937 – April 3, 2020) was a Soviet/Russian astronomer and historian of science.
Gurshtein earned his Candidate of Science from Sternberg State Astronomical Institute, Moscow in 1966 and a Doctor of Science degree in Physics & Mathematics from Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in St. Petersburg (1980).
Gurshtein was active as an astronomer in the space program and held a number of offices in professional organizations, including Head of Council for Astronomical Education and Vice Director of the Institute for History of Science & Technology, both for the Russian Ministry of Education. As a historian of science, he has served as editor-in-chief of the Annual on History of Science, published by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Deputy Editor-in-Chief for the academic monthly, Nature, published by the Russian Academy of Sciences.He is also the author of several books and articles on planetology, holder of five patents, and contributor to many international forums.
In 1995 he took a leave of absence from the Russian Academy and accepted a position as Visiting Professor of Astronomy & History of Science at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. In later years he developed a concept of history of constellations and the zodiac which was published in American Scientist, Sky & Telescope, and other professional journals.