Egon from Oppolzer

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Egon from Oppolzer

Egon Ritter von Oppolzer (born October 13, 1869 in Vienna , † June 15, 1907 in Innsbruck ) was an Austrian astronomer and founder of the Innsbruck observatory .

Life

Egon von Oppolzer was born in Vienna in 1869 as the son of the astronomer Theodor von Oppolzer . After high school he studied mathematical sciences at the University of Vienna from 1888 to 1892 , where he was particularly influenced by the meteorologist Julius von Hann  and was very interested in solar physics  . In 1893 he was promoted to Dr. phil. PhD. A short stay at the Pola marine observatory was followed by a study visit with Hugo von Seeliger in Munich . In 1897 he became an assistant at the observatory of the German University in Prague , where he completed his habilitation in astrophysics in 1899 . For several months he worked as a voluntary observer at the Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam . In 1901 he was appointed associate professor at the University of Innsbruck  , where he was appointed full professor in 1906. Oppolzer died in 1907 at the age of 38 as a result of blood poisoning. His grave is in the family crypt in the "Alte Arkaden" in the Vienna Central Cemetery (group AAL, no. 34).

Services

Egon von Oppolzer was active in numerous fields, in particular solar physics, astrometry , photometry , but also the construction of instruments. He was unable to implement many scientific ideas due to his early death.

In his dissertation “About the cause of sunspots” he adopted explanatory models from meteorology and traced back sunspots to increased light absorption due to pressure differences in the photosphere .

In Prague he dealt extensively with the problem of polar fluctuation . His determination of the pole height of Prague was considered exemplary for the entire monarchy.

The Oppolzer observatory in Hötting

During his stay at the Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam, he discovered the short-period variability of the asteroid (433) Eros and deduced from the light curve its irregular shape.

The University of Innsbruck had a chair for astronomy since Eduard von Haerdtl's appointment in 1892, but no observatory. Oppolzer therefore began in 1904 with the construction of an observatory near his villa in Hötting . a. with the sale of his valuable collection of paintings. At that time it was the most modern in Austria and had a zenith telescope built according to its own plans for observing the fluctuations of the polar heights and a 40 cm Zeiss reflector telescope financed by the Imperial Academy of Sciences . After Oppolzer's early death, after lengthy negotiations, the state acquired the observatory and in 1909 incorporated it into the university. It was the basis for the later Institute for Astronomy and ensured the continuation of astronomical research and teaching in Innsbruck.

Honor

In Innsbruck, Oppolzerstraße near the observatory commemorates its founder.

Publications (selection)

  • About the cause of sunspots. Astronomical News, 132 (1893), 17-22
  • On the dynamics of the atmosphere. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 29 (1894), 274-276
  • Note on planet (433) Eros. Astronomical News, 154 (1901), 297
  • Preliminary communication on photometric measurements of the planet (433) Eros . Astronomical News, 154 (1901), 309-312
  • On the Number of Stars Upon a Photographic Plate . Astrophysical Journal, 16 (1902), 332-333
  • Earth Movement and Aether. Annalen der Physik, 313 (1902), 898-907
  • The height of the pole in Prague: according to the method used in the years 1889 to 1892 and 1895 to 1899 using the Horrebow-Talcott method by L. Weinek, G. Gruss, R. Spitaler, R. Lieblein and E. v. Oppolzer made observations (1903)
  • About the photographic light intensity of telescopes. Session reports of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Vienna, 116 (1907), 1151–1163

literature

  • Konradin Ferrari d'Occhieppo :  Oppolzer Egon von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 7, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1978, ISBN 3-7001-0187-2 , p. 238 f. (Direct links on p. 238 , p. 239 ).
  • H. Seeliger: Egon von Oppolzer reported his death . In: Astronomische Nachrichten, 175 (1907), p. 239 doi : 10.1002 / asna.19071751407
  • A. Scheller: Egon von Oppolzer. In: Vierteljahresschrift der Astronomische Gesellschaft, 45 (1910), pp. 5–9.
  • A. Scheller: Egon von Oppolzer. In: lotus. Natural Science Journal, No. 11 (1907), pp. 177–179 ( PDF; 270 kB )
  • Egon R. v. Oppolzer . In: Reports of the Natural Science-Medical Association Innsbruck, Volume 31 (1907), pp. III-XVI ( PDF; 1.3 MB )
  • Volker Witt: A Zenittelescope and its consequences. How astronomy came to Innsbruck. In: Stars and Space, September 2010, pp. 88–95.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Oppolzer, Egon von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH October 13, 1869
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH June 15, 1907
Place of death innsbruck