[1] Van den Bergh showed an interest in science from an early age, learning to read with books on astronomy.
[2] His parents got him science books, a telescope, and a microscope, although they wished him to pursue a more practical career and only follow astronomy as a hobby.
[1] At the DDO, he led innovations that included: expansion of the facilities, utilization of computers, and multicolor photometry.
[1] While his areas of focus have included the moon and other parts of the Solar System, he is best known for his work in extragalactic astronomy in which he has published original findings and reviews of nebulae, star clusters, variable stars, supernovae and more recently, an update to the estimated age of the universe.
[6] Beginning in 1982, van den Bergh started serving as chairman and president of the board of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corporation in Hawaii.