▁under ▁Donald ▁O ster bro ck . ▁His ▁astronom ical ▁career ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁tour ▁guide ▁at ▁the ▁Griff ith ▁Observ atory ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁ ▁Ab ell ▁made ▁great ▁contributions ▁to ▁astronom ical ▁knowledge ▁which ▁resulted ▁from ▁his ▁work ▁during ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁National ▁Geographic ▁Society ▁- ▁Pal om ar ▁Observ atory ▁Sky ▁Survey , ▁especially ▁concerning ▁clusters ▁of ▁galaxies ▁and ▁planet ary ▁ne b ula e . ▁ ▁A ▁galax y , ▁an ▁astero id , ▁a ▁periodic ▁com et , ▁and ▁an ▁observ atory ▁are ▁all ▁named ▁in ▁his ▁honor . ▁ ▁His ▁teaching ▁career ▁extended ▁beyond ▁the ▁campus ▁of ▁U CLA ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁school ▁student ▁orient ed ▁Summer ▁Science ▁Program , ▁and ▁educational ▁television . ▁ ▁He ▁not ▁only ▁taught ▁about ▁science ▁but ▁also ▁about ▁what ▁is ▁not ▁science . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁origin ating ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Scient ific ▁Investig ation ▁of ▁Cla ims ▁of ▁the ▁Par an ormal ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Committee ▁for ▁S ke pt ical ▁In qu iry . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁George ▁Og den ▁Ab ell ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁California ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁to ▁The odore ▁C . ▁Ab ell ▁and ▁Ann amar ie ▁( O g den ) ▁Ab ell . ▁ ▁The odore ▁Ab ell ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Water bury , ▁Connecticut ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁was ▁a ▁Un itar ian ▁minister , ▁and ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Hollywood ▁Human