Theodor Oppolzer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Theodor Oppolzer, photograph by Carl Kroh, 1884

Theodor Egon Oppolzer , from 1869: Theodor Egon Ritter von Oppolzer (born October 26, 1841 in Prague , † December 26, 1886 in Vienna ) was an Austrian astronomer of German-Bohemian origin, who was mainly known for his Canon of Darknesses (1887) and the two-volume Textbook of the orbit determination of comets and planets became known worldwide. He was a university professor in Vienna, a member of several scientific academies and also active in international geometric measurements .

Life

Theodor was the son of the physician Johann Oppolzer (from 1869: Johann Ritter von Oppolzer; 1808–1871) and his wife Maria Pleischl, a daughter of the chemist Adolf Pleischl . From the age of nine he received lessons from private teachers and in 1859 he graduated from the Piarist High School with distinction as an “external” (Prague) . He then studied in "urgent request" of his father medicine in his hometown and finished this study in 1865 with the promotion of Dr. med.

At the same time, however, he already attended astronomical and mathematical lectures. Due to his extensive knowledge of astronomy Oppolzer in 1866 without subject-related promotion and without habilitation thesis in this subject habilitation . By this year he had published nearly 80 papers in the fields of observing and determining the orbit of minor planets and comets. In those years he also had a powerful private observatory with an eight-inch refractor built in the garden of his parents' property ( Vienna-Josefstadt , Alser Straße 25 ) . In 1868 he went on a research trip to Arabia and in 1874 to Romania.

In 1865 Oppolzer married Coelestine Mautner (1845–1923) in Baden (Lower Austria ). He had six children with her, including the future astronomer Egon von Oppolzer .

In 1870 Oppolzer was appointed associate professor for theoretical astronomy . Five years later he accepted a professorship at the University of Vienna , where he as o. Professor of Astronomy and Geodesy professor was. In 1872 he was appointed to the commission of the European degree measurement in order to promote scientific cooperation in the field of geodesy , and in the following year to the board of the kk degree measurement office , of which he became president in 1885.

In 1884 Oppolzer became a member of the "Commission internationale des poids et mesures", in 1885 a member of the Normal- Aichungs-Commission in Vienna; In 1886 he was elected Vice President of the International Geodetic Society at the 8th International Congress of International Geometric Surveying in Berlin .

Oppolzer calculated and observed the total solar eclipse of August 18, 1868 in Aden , the Venus transit in 1874 in Iași , Romania , and the Mercury transit in 1868 and 1878 in his private observatory in Josefstadt .

Vienna Central Cemetery, Old Arcades, Crypt No. 34: Grave of the Knights of Oppolzer

In 1879 he became a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and the Académie des Sciences in Paris. In 1882 the Academy of Sciences in Vienna elected him a full member, in 1883 the National Academy of Sciences , and in 1884 the Royal Astronomical Society . In 1885 he was elected to the Leopoldina (German Academy of Natural Scientists) and subsequently to other international associations. The University of Leiden awarded him an honorary doctorate in philosophy. In 1885 Oppolzer was able to present his Canon of Eclipses, the calculation of around 8000 solar and over 5000 lunar eclipses between 1208 BC. BC and AD 2163

At the age of only 45, Theodor Egon von Oppolzer died on December 26, 1886 in Vienna after suffering a short time. He found his final resting place in the Oppolzer family crypt in the "Alte Arkaden" in the Vienna Central Cemetery (Group AAL, No. 34).

In 1874, Oppolzergasse in Vienna's Innere Stadt (1st district) was named after him and his father Johann von Oppolzer. The asteroid (1492) Oppolzer and the moon crater Oppolzer were also named .

Publications (selection)

Map of the solar eclipses between 2008 and 2030, Canon of the Eclipses (1887)
  • Canon of the darkness (= memoranda of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Mathematical-Natural Science Class. Bd. 52, ZDB -ID 961131-9 ). in commission at Karl Gerold's Sohn, Vienna 1887, ( digitalized )
  • Textbook of the orbit determination of comets and planets. 2 volumes. Engelmann, Leipzig 1870–1880, ( digitized volume 1 ; digitized volume 2 )
  • About the eclipse of the Shu-king. In: Monthly reports of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. 1880, ZDB -ID 2790421-0 , pp. 166-185
  • Determination of the Longitudes of Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Vienna, Paris and Pulkowa . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.438, London 1879
  • About the method of observation when passing through Venus . Astr. News (AN), Berlin 1870
  • Observation of the total solar eclipse in Aden on August 17, 1868 . AN 1868
  • Observation, elements and ephemeris of Comet III. 1867 ( Winnecke ) and ... of Comet I. 1866 ( Temple ) . Astr. Nachrichten, Vol. 68-69, Berlin 1867
  • Recovery of Clytia (73) and elements and ephemeris of the planet (73) "Clytia" , AN 1865
  • Elements and ephemeris of Comet V. 1863 (formerly Comet IV. 1863) , AN 1863
  • Observation and elements of Diana (78) , AN 1863
  • Orbit determination of Comet I. 1861 and Comet II. 1862 , astronomer. News, Berlin 1862

literature

Web links

Commons : Theodor von Oppolzer  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. IV. List of graduated high school students and external students. In:  Program and annual report of the kais (erlich) König (iglichen) Josephstädter Gymnasium in Vienna for the school year 1860 , year 1860, p. 25. (online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / jjo.
  2. ^ Oppolzer Theodor R. v. (...) . In: Felix Czeike : Historisches Lexikon Wien , Volume 4: Le – Ro . Kremayr & Scheriau / Orac, Vienna (inter alia) 2004, p. 456.
  3. ^ Coelestine von Oppolzer. In: dynastiemautnermarkhof.com
  4. ^ List of members since 1666: Letter O. Académie des sciences, accessed on January 29, 2020 (French).
  5. Little Chronicle. (...) Councilor Professor Oppolzer †. In:  Wiener Abendpost , supplement to Wiener Zeitung , No. 295/1886, December 27, 1886, p. 2, center left. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz.