George O. Abell

George Ogden Abell was born in Los Angeles on March 1, 1927, to Theodore Curtis Abell and Annamarie (Ogden) Abell.{{cite web|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1302193 |title=Abell, George Ogden |last=Hetherington |first=Norriss S. |website=American National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1302193 |access-date=August 22, 2022}} Theodore Abell was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1890, was a Unitarian minister, and was one of the original members of the Hollywood Humanist Society. Annamarie was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1896, and studied to be a librarian, worked for a short while as a librarian but eventually became a social worker. George Ogden Abell was named for his mother's brother, George Ogden.{{cite web|last1=Weart|first1=Spencer|author-link1=Spencer R. Weart|title=Oral Histories, George Abell|url=https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4475|website=AIP, American Institute of Physics|date=8 December 2014|publisher=American Institute of Physics|access-date=8 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422161858/https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4475|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}

Theodore and Annamarie divorced when Abell was 6 years old. Annamarie and son went to live with her father, also George Ogden, who was an author of western novels. Theodore maintained regular contact with Abell and took him to many museums and to Griffith Observatory and planetarium when he was about 8, soon after it opened. This prompted Abell to start reading books on astronomy. Abell attended Van Nuys High School where he achieved all As in all math and science courses that he took.

As a youth, Abell held many part-time jobs, he had a newspaper delivery as well as mail route, worked in a bowling alley, a restaurant, grocery store, and did home maintenance work.

Abell enlisted in the US Army Air Corps after he graduated from high school in 1945 in the waning days of World War II. He took the tests that qualified him for training as a pilot, navigator or bombardier, but the war ended and those schools were shut down before he could begin training.

Instead, he went to weather school at Chanute Field in Illinois. On finishing that, he had the option of staying at Chanute Field to attend forecasting school, but that would have entailed becoming an officer and staying in the Army longer. Since the war was over, getting out of the Army as soon as possible seemed more important to him, so he opted to forego forecasting school. Instead he was sent to Japan, where he served as an Air Corps weatherman for six months before being discharged after 18 months of total service.

Upon leaving the Air Corps, Abell returned to Los Angeles and worked as a gas station attendant while waiting to start school at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). At Caltech, Abell studied physics his freshman year. However, the next year Caltech inaugurated its astronomy department and as a sophomore he switched majors to astronomy. As an undergraduate student, Abell lived in Caltech's Fleming House and bowled on the Fleming House bowling team. Abell participated in the Drama Club, and was president of the club for one year. He also wrote the music column for Caltech's weekly newspaper, The California Tech, and worked at Griffith Observatory as a guide while an undergrad student.

Abell received his Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy in 1951. He then continued at Caltech for graduate studies in astronomy. He received a Master of Science in 1952 and a Ph.D. in 1957. He was the first Ph.D. student of Donald Osterbrock. During his graduate student days he worked at Griffith Observatory as a lecturer.

File:Monster galaxy lacks a bright core.jpg is one galaxy cluster from his catalogue of clusters of galaxies, collected during the National Geographic Society - Palomar Observatory Sky Survey.]]

Abell's first professional astronomical occupation came as a Caltech grad student when he was an observer on the National Geographic Society – Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. Several scientific advances came out of this work including,{{cite journal|last1=Aller|first1=L. H.|author-link1=Lawrence H. Aller|title=George Ogden Abell (1927-1983)|journal=Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society|date=June 1989|volume=30|issue=2|page=283|bibcode=1989QJRAS..30..283A}}{{cite news |title=Dr. George O. Abell, 57, Dies; Observer of Galaxy Clusters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/08/obituaries/dr-george-o-abell-57-dies-observer-of-galaxy-clusters.html |date=October 8, 1983 |newspaper=New York Times |agency=UPI|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119052415/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/08/obituaries/dr-george-o-abell-57-dies-observer-of-galaxy-clusters.html|archive-date=19 January 2017|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Epps|first1=H.|last2=Popper|first2=D.|last3=Aller|first3=L.|author-link3=Lawrence H. Aller|title=George O. Abell, Astronomy: Los Angeles|url=http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb4d5nb20m;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00002&toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=calisphere|website=calisphere|publisher=California Digital Library|access-date=10 April 2017}}

• The Abell catalog of 2,712 rich clusters of galaxies, which include Abell 68.{{cite journal|author=Abell, George O.|title=The distribution of rich clusters of galaxies. A catalogue of 2712 rich clusters found on the National Geographic Society Palomar Observatory Sky Survey|journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series|volume=3|pages=211–88|year=1958|doi=10.1086/190036|bibcode=1958ApJS....3..211A|url=https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1581/1/Abell_go_1957.pdf|access-date=2019-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721190654/https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1581/1/Abell_GO_1957.pdf|archive-date=2018-07-21|url-status=dead}}
• The recognition of second order clusters of the clusters of galaxies, which also disproved Carl Charlier's hierarchical model.
• The study of luminosity of clusters showing how they can be used for determination of relative distances.
• A list of 86 planetary nebulae which includes Abell 39.{{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=G. O.|title=Globular Clusters and Planetary Nebulae Discovered on the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1955|volume=67|issue= 397|pages=258|bibcode=1955PASP...67..258A|doi=10.1086/126815|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=G. O.|title=Properties of Some Old Planetary Nebulae|journal=Astrophysical Journal|date=April 1966|volume=144|pages=259|bibcode=1966ApJ...144..259A|doi=10.1086/148602}}
• Recognition that planetary nebulae derive from red giant stars,{{efn|This conclusion later confirmed by many investigations.}} together with Peter Goldreich, of UCLA,
• With Robert G. Harrington discovered periodic comet 52P/Harrington-Abell.{{cite web|last1=Kronk|first1=Gary W.|author-link1=Gary W. Kronk|title=52P/Harrington-Abell|url=http://cometography.com/pcomets/052p.html|website=Cometography.com|publisher=Cometography.com|access-date=9 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202035531/http://cometography.com/pcomets/052p.html|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}

An extended version of the clusters of galaxies catalogue was published after Abell's death in 1987 under the authorship of Abell, Harold G. Corwin and Ronald P. Olowin. This extended catalog includes clusters seen from the southern hemisphere, lists approximately 4,000 clusters of galaxies and includes thirty members with a redshift up to z = 0.2. (See List of Abell clusters.)

Abell taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for 17 years where he was known as an outstanding and brilliant teacher. He believed that the cornerstone of teaching science is to present how and why the facts are known to be facts; and not in the mere presentation of facts that might amaze, sensationalize, entertain but not enlighten the listener.

Abell chaired the UCLA Astronomy Department for seven years 1968 to 1975. He also served on several university committees and commissions, such as,

• Faculty Senate
• Committee on Parking and Transportation (1959)
• Chairman of the Graduate Council (1964-1965)
• Chairman of the Committee on Athletics (1968-1969)
• Chairman of the Los Angeles Division (1972-1973)

During the period of student unrest in the 1960s Abell was an active member and organizer of the unofficial Committee for Responsible University Government. This was due to his belief that faculty and administration standards were weakening as a result of the unrest.

Abell was a leader and teacher in the Summer Science Program for talented high school students. At Thatcher School in Ojai, California, he and others taught college-level physics, mathematics and astronomy to these students. A number of them went on to pursue distinguished careers in science. One such is Ed Krupp the long-time director of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

Abell also lectured at other venues, specifically at many small colleges that lacked astronomy departments. He also strove to bring the stories of science and astronomy to the people through public lectures.

He wrote several books including Exploration of the Universe a textbook widely used in undergraduate astronomy courses.{{cite journal|title=George Abell 1926-1983|journal=Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Newsletter|volume=77|page=L85|url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/JRASC/0077//L000085.000.html|access-date=10 April 2017|bibcode=1983JRASC..77L..85S|last1=Shigehisa|first1=Osao|year=1983}}

He helped produce educational TV programs/series such as Project Universe and Understanding Space and Time. He also appeared in some of these as himself, an astronomer. Project Universe was a 30 part introductory course on astronomy that featured Ed Krupp director of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Abell and Julian Schwinger created Understanding Space and Time in 16 parts to explain in layman's terms celestial mechanics, relativity, and the large scale structure of the universe.

Abell was not just a teacher of astronomy and science, he also taught about popular topics with no scientific evidence. He was a debunker of astrology, pseudoscience, and the occult. In a tribute to Abell in The Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Lawrence H. Aller wrote,

{{blockquote|text=As many astronomers do not, George recognized that the great enemy of enlightenment was not just ignorance, but the delusions and gullibility of vast masses of humanity and their willingness – nay, eagerness – to be taken in by frauds ranging from pseudoscientific claptrap (“Worlds in Collision”, the Bermuda Triangle, ancient astronauts, the Atlantis myth, etc.) to astrology, the occult arts and witchcraft. What is astonishing is the inability of many otherwise literate people to recognize the strong hold of superstition upon them and their penchant for accepting the claims of charlatans at face value. Given these conditions, the magnitude of the task of combating astrology, witchcraft, and pseudoscience is staggering.}}

His opposition to such forces took many forms, in writings, and in television appearances. He was one of the co-founders of the Committee on Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal now known as CSI, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

Abell was a contributor to the organization's journal Skeptical Inquirer.

There are several astronomical bodies named for George Abell, as well as an earthbound observatory.{{efn|With the exception of The Abell Galaxy, this list contains only items actually named for Abell. It does not contain items listed in either the Abell Catalog of clusters of galaxies or the Abell List of planetary nebulae. It is customary to refer to those items as Abell and the correct number from the catalog or list. Those designations do not indicate the items are named for Abell. Only that they are contained in the catalog/list that he compiled.}}

• The Abell Galaxy, which, for many years, was the largest known astronomical object.
• Asteroid (3449)Abell{{cite web|title=(3449) Abell = 1978 VR9 = 1983 TQ1|url=http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=3449|website=IAU Minor Planet Center|publisher=International Astronomical Union|access-date=16 April 2017}}
• Periodic comet 52P/Harrington-Abell, which Abell co-discovered with Robert Harrington
• George Abell Observatory, Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom{{cite web|last1=Norton|first1=Andrew|last2=Jarvis|first2=Johanna|title=The George Abell Observatory|url=http://observatory.open.ac.uk/|website=The Open University|publisher=Open University|access-date=16 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314194035/http://observatory.open.ac.uk/|archive-date=14 March 2017|url-status=dead}}

• American Astronomical Society
• Councilor 1969-1972{{cite web|title=American Astronomical Society|url=https://aas.org/about/governance/past-officers-and-councilors|website=Past Officers and Councilors|publisher=American Astronomical Society|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409051124/https://aas.org/about/governance/past-officers-and-councilors|archive-date=9 April 2016|url-status=dead}}
• Education Committee, Chairman
• Astronomical Society of the Pacific
• President 1969-1971{{cite web|last1=Fraknoi|first1=Andrew|author-link1=Andrew Fraknoi|last2=Flynn|first2=Jack|last3=Stern|first3=Al|title=Presidents of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|url=https://www.astrosociety.org/about/presidents.html|website=Astronomical Society of the Pacific|publisher=Astronomical Society of the Pacific|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322235927/https://www.astrosociety.org/about/presidents.html|archive-date=22 March 2016|url-status=live}}
• Member Board of Directors 1982-1984{{cite web|title=ASP Past Officers and Board Members|url=https://www.astrosociety.org/about/pastbod.html|website=Astronomical Society of the Pacific|publisher=Astronomical Society of the Pacific|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202140937/https://www.astrosociety.org/about/pastbod.html|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}
• Royal Astronomical Society, elected a Fellow in 1970
• International Astronomical Union
• Cosmology Commission, President
• Organized symposia on the large-scale structure of the universe
• UCLA – 1979
• Crete – 1982
• American Association for the Advancement of Science, Member of the governing board
• Summer Science Program{{efn|SSP remembers his service through its Abell Scholarship Fund.}}{{cite web|title=The "Teaching Opportunity of a Lifetime" at SSP|url=http://casa.colorado.edu/~dduncan/ssp/ssp.pdf|website=The Summer Science Program|publisher=Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000234/http://casa.colorado.edu/~dduncan/ssp/ssp.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}
• Academic Director 1960-1983
• Guest speaker in other years

Abell was married twice. The first marriage occurred right after his graduation from Caltech. His first wife was a school teacher and they had two sons together named Anthony and Jonathan. This marriage ended after 19 years with the sons remaining with their father. Abell's second wife, Phyllis, was a painter who studied three years at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art but did not graduate.

Abell enjoyed many hobbies during his lifetime such as, softball, bowling, music concerts and grand opera (on which he was considered an authority), record collecting, and literature. He was an avid baseball fan, frequently in attendance at Los Angeles Dodgers games.

Abell died at home on October 7, 1983, after suffering a heart attack.

• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|last2=Osterbrock|first2=Donald E.|author-link2=Donald Edward Osterbrock|title=The Distribution of Rich Clusters of Galaxies|date=1957|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, Illinois|oclc=436995543}} (PhD Thesis)
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Astronomy for Everybody|date=1958|publisher=Trend Books|location=Los Angeles, California|pages=128|oclc=10081142}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Radiance of Rocket Engine Flames at Low Atmospheric Density|date=1 November 1958|publisher=Defense Technical Information Center|location=Fort Belvoir, Virginia|pages=38|oclc=227362134}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Extragalactic Distances by Luminosity Methods|date=1960|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907716439}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Evidence Regarding Second-order Clustering of Galaxies and Interactions Between Clusters of Galaxies|date=1961|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907716450}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|title=Exploration of the Universe|url=https://archive.org/details/explorationofuni00abel|url-access=registration|date=1964|publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston|location=New York|pages=654|oclc=751368265|isbn=978-0-03-075955-0}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Clustering of Galaxies|date=1965|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907716717}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Rich Clusters of Galaxies|date=3 June 1965|publisher=Defense Technical Information Center|location=Fort Belvoir, Virginia|oclc=227665508}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|last2=Goldreich|first2=Peter|author-link2=Peter Goldreich|title=On the Origin of Planetary Nebulae|date=1966|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907716612}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|last2=Mihalas|first2=Dimitri|author-link2=Dimitri Mihalas|title=Procedure of Photometry for Elliptical Galaxies|date=1966|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907716412}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George|title=Instructor's Manual for Exploration of the Universe|date=1970|publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston|location=New York|pages=240|oclc=636766723|isbn=978-0-03-089666-8}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George|title=Solutions Manual for Exploration of the Universe|date=1970|publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston|location=New York|pages=132|oclc=61249669}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|last2=Müller|first2=Edith A.|title=A List of Astronomy Educational Material|date=1970|publisher=Geneva Observatory|location=Versoix, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland|oclc=22187985}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Problems Concerning the Extragalactic Distance Scale|date=1972|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907730247}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=The Extragalactic Relative Distance Scale|date=1974|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907730914}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Astrology: Its Principles and Relation and Nonrelation to Science|date=1974|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907731011}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Superclustering of Galaxies|date=1974|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907731002}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Clusters of galaxies|date=1974|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907731140}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|title=Realm of the universe|date=1976|publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston|location=New York|isbn=978-0-03-014996-2|oclc=494612961|pages=431}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=The Luminosity Function and Structure of the Coma Cluster|date=1977|publisher=University of California|location=Los Angeles, California|oclc=907730637}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|title=Drama of the Universe|date=1978|publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston|location=New York|isbn=978-0-03-022401-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/dramaofuniverse00abel/page/456 456]|oclc=832588778|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dramaofuniverse00abel/page/456}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Instructor's Manual for Drama of the Universe|date=1978|publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston|location=New York|isbn=978-0-03-039231-3|pages=101|oclc=6676725}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|title=Objects of High Redshift: International Astronomical Union Symposium No. 92, held in Los Angeles, August 28-31, 1979|date=1980|publisher=D. Reidel|location=Dordrecht, Netherlands|isbn=978-9-02-771118-2|pages=340|oclc=715490723}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|last2=Singer|first2=Barry|title=Science and the Paranormal: Probing the Existence of the Supernatural|date=1981|publisher=Scribner|location=New York|isbn=978-0-68-416655-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/scienceparanorma0000unse/page/414 414]|oclc=636372463|url=https://archive.org/details/scienceparanorma0000unse/page/414}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|last2=Chincarini|first2=Guido|title=Early Evolution of the Universe and Its Present Structure: International Astronomical Union Symposium No. 104 Held in Kolymbari, Crete, August 30 - September 2, 1982|date=1983|publisher=D. Reidel|location=Dordrecht, Netherlands|isbn=978-9-02-771653-8|pages=536|oclc=889494410}}
• {{cite book|last1=Abell|first1=George Ogden|last2=Corwin|first2=Harold G.|last3=Olowin|first3=Ronald P.|title=A Catalog of Rich Clusters of Galaxies|date=1989|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, Illinois|pages=138|oclc=490447720}}

• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=G. O.|title=Globular Clusters and Planetary Nebulae Discovered on the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1955|volume=67|issue=397|pages=258–261|bibcode=1955PASP...67..258A|doi = 10.1086/126815 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=The Distribution of Rich Clusters of Galaxies|journal=The Astronomical Journal|date=1957|volume=62|pages=2|issn=0004-6256|oclc=4649249623|doi=10.1086/107564|bibcode=1957AJ.....62Q...2A|url=https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1581/1/Abell_GO_1957.pdf|access-date=2019-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721190654/https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1581/1/Abell_GO_1957.pdf|archive-date=2018-07-21|url-status=dead}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Activities of the Society: The San Francisco Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1 October 1959|volume=71|issue=422|pages=481–483|issn=0004-6280|oclc=5547667227|bibcode = 1959PASP...71..481A |doi = 10.1086/127435 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Three-Color Observations of a Flare on AD Leonis|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1 December 1959|volume=71|issue=423|pages=517–521|issn=0004-6280|oclc=5547672709|bibcode = 1959PASP...71..517A |doi = 10.1086/127441 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=The San Francisco Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=December 1959|volume=71|issue=422|pages=481|issn=0004-6280|oclc=4641408269|bibcode = 1959PASP...71..481A |doi = 10.1086/127435 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=The Luminosity Function of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies|journal=The Astronomical Journal|date=May 1959|volume=64|pages=125|issn=0004-6256|oclc=4649258399|doi=10.1086/107894|bibcode=1959AJ.....64..125A|doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Book Review: Astronomy|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1 February 1960|volume=72|issue=424|pages=65–66|issn=0004-6280|oclc=5547695194|bibcode = 1960PASP...72...65. |doi = 10.1086/127482 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Extragalactic Distances by Luminosity Methods|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=August 1960|volume=72|issue=429|pages=459|issn=0004-6280|oclc=4641412356|bibcode = 1960PASP...72..459A |doi = 10.1086/127577 |s2cid=120498701 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|last2=Petrie|first2=R. M.|author-link2=Robert Methven Petrie|last3=Zwicky|first3=F|author-link3=Fritz Zwicky|title=The Astronomical Distance Scale: A Symposium|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1 December 1960|volume=72|issue=429|pages=459–468|issn=0004-6280|oclc=5547678707|bibcode = 1960PASP...72..459A |doi = 10.1086/127577 |s2cid=120498701 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Award of the Bruce Gold Medal to Dr. Horace W. Babcock|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1 August 1969|volume=81|issue=480|pages=179–184|issn=0004-6280|oclc=5547681549|bibcode = 1969PASP...81..179A |doi = 10.1086/128761 |s2cid=121851209 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Evidence Regarding Second-order Clustering of Galaxies and Interactions Between Clusters of Galaxies|journal=The Astronomical Journal|date=December 1961|volume=66|pages=607|issn=0004-6256|oclc=4649278308|doi=10.1086/108472|bibcode=1961AJ.....66..607A}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=G. O.|title=Properties of Some Old Planetary Nebulae|journal=Astrophysical Journal|date=1966|volume=144|pages=259|bibcode=1966ApJ...144..259A|doi = 10.1086/148602 }}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Award of the Bruce Gold Medal to Professor Fred Hoyle|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|date=1 June 1970|volume=82|issue=487|pages=567–572|issn=0004-6280|oclc=5547684655|bibcode = 1970PASP...82..567A |doi = 10.1086/128934 |s2cid=119833910 |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=Astrology: Its Principles and Relation and Nonrelation to Science|journal=The Science Teacher|date=1 December 1974|volume=41|issue=9|pages=9–13|publisher=National Science Teachers Association|issn=0036-8555|oclc=5919376587}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Ransom|first1=C. J.|last2=Abell|first2=George O.|title=More on Velikovsky|journal=Physics Today|date=December 1978|volume=31|issue=12|pages=81–82|publisher=American Institute of Physics|issn=0031-9228|oclc=4636479454|doi=10.1063/1.2994898|bibcode=1978PhT....31l..81R}}
• {{cite journal|last1=Abell|first1=George O.|title=On Second Reading|journal=Physics Today|date=January 1979|volume=32|issue=1|pages=94|publisher=American Institute of Physics|issn=0031-9228|oclc=4636492785|doi=10.1063/1.2995379|bibcode=1979PhT....32a..94A}}

He was slated to take over as editor of the Astronomical Journal effective January 1, 1984, but his death occurred before that appointment became effective.

• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (educational consultant)|date=1960|title=How We Know the Earth's Shape|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=42494371}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (educational consultant)|date=1960|title=Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=5951697}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George Abell, L. G. Stoddard (educational consultants)|date=1965|title=What is an Eclipse?|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=2328634}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (supervisor)|date=1965|title=Solar Prominences|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=5603406}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (supervisor)|date=1965|title=Eclipse of the Sun|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=5603409}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (supervisor)|date=1965|title=Eclipse of the Moon|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=5603413}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (supervisor)|date=1965|title=Mars and Jupiter|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=7304158}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (supervisor)|date=1965|title=Comet Orbits|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=7304176}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell, Edward K.L. Upton (consultants)|date=1966|title=How We Study the Sun|medium=film|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=Films Associates of California|oclc=7185321}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (consultant)|date=1976|title=Probing the Universe|medium=film|location=Whittier, California|publisher=Moody Institute of Science|oclc=34847312}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (writer/consultant)|date=1976|title=Astronomy: Expander of the Mind|medium=film|location=Whittier, California|publisher=Moody Institute of Science|oclc=221890068}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (educational consultant)|date=1977|title=How We Know the Earth Moves|medium=film|location=Santa Monica, California|publisher=BFA Educational media|oclc=4423406}}
• {{cite AV media|people=Paul Kurtz, George Ogden Abell (writers)|date=1977|title=Man's Place in the Universe|medium=film|location=Amherst, New York|publisher=American Humanist Association|oclc=691509262}}
• {{cite AV media|people=Ed Krupp (presenter), George O. Abell (production assistance)|date=1978|title=Project Universe:An Introduction to Astronomy|medium=film (30 episode TV series)|location=Huntington Beach, California|publisher=KOCE-TV, Coast Community College District|oclc=9765283}}
• {{cite AV media|people=George O. Abell (writing/production), Julian Schwinger (writing)|title=Understanding Space and Time|medium=film (16 episode TV series)}}

• List of Abell clusters
• {{section link|List of astronomers|G. O. Abell}}
• Abell catalogue
• :Category:Abell objects
• Abell Catalog of Planetary Nebulae

• [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/JRASC/0077//L000085.000.html JRASC 77 (1983) L85]
• [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/QJRAS/0030//0000283.000.html QJRAS 30 (1989) 283]
• [http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb4d5nb20m&brand=oac&doc.view=entire_text University of California: In Memoriam, 1985]

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4475 Oral history for George Abell (14 November 1977), American Institute of Physics]

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