, ▁astronom er ▁ ▁Brand ▁Bl ans hard , ▁Y ale ▁University ▁phil os opher ▁ ▁L . ▁Sp rag ue ▁de ▁Camp , ▁author ▁of ▁books ▁deb unk ing ▁pseud os cience ▁ ▁Sid ney ▁Hook , ▁phil os opher ▁at ▁the ▁Ho over ▁Institution ▁and ▁emer it us ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁ ▁Ernest ▁Nag el , ▁Columbia , ▁phil os opher ▁ ▁Will ard ▁Van ▁Or man ▁Qu ine , ▁Harvard , ▁phil os opher ▁ ▁B . ▁F . ▁Sk inner , ▁Harvard , ▁psych ologist ▁ ▁Carl ▁S agan , ▁Corn ell , ▁expert ▁on ▁possibilities ▁of ▁extr ater rest rial ▁life ▁ ▁Ab ell ▁was ▁a ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁journal ▁S ke pt ical ▁In qu ir er . ▁ ▁Astronom ical ▁names akes ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁astronom ical ▁bodies ▁named ▁for ▁George ▁Ab ell , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁earth bound ▁observ atory . ▁ ▁The ▁Ab ell ▁Gal axy , ▁discovered ▁by ▁Ab ell ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁known ▁astronom ical ▁object ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁ ▁Ast ero id ▁( 3 4 4 9 ) Ab ell ▁ ▁Period ic ▁com et ▁ 5 2 P / H arr ington - Ab ell , ▁which ▁Ab ell ▁co - dis cover ed ▁with ▁Robert ▁Harr ington ▁ ▁George ▁Ab ell ▁Observ atory , ▁Open ▁University , ▁Mil ton ▁Ke yn es , ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁ ▁Aff ili ations ▁ ▁Professional ▁ ▁American ▁Astronom ical ▁Society ▁ ▁Council or ▁ 1 9 6