People

Index: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

A

B

Barnard, Edward Emerson 1857-1923

American astronomer; discovered Jupiter's satellite Amalthea and Barnard's star, the second-nearest star system to the Sun.

Bode, Johann 1747-1826

German astronomer, known for the bogus "Bode's Law" which attempts to explain the sizes of the planetary orbits.

Bond, William Cranch 1789-1859

One of the earliest American astronomers of note; rose from poverty and overcame a lack of formal education to become the first director of the Harvard College Observatory where he studied Saturn and (with Lassell) discovered its moon Hyperion.

Brahe, Tycho 1546-1601

Danish astronomer whose accurate astronomical observations formed the basis for Johannes Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

C

Cassini, Giovanni Domenico 1625-1712

(aka Jean Dominique) Italian-born French astronomer and first director of the Royal Observatory in Paris; discoverer of four of Saturn's moons (Tethys, Dione, Rhea and Iapetus) and the major gap in its rings.

Congress

the legislative branch of the US Government; has proven to be a much more hostile environment for scientific spacecraft than the vastness of space.

Copernicus, Nicolaus 1473-1543

Polish astronomer who advanced the heliocentric theory that the earth and other planets revolve around the Sun. This was highly controversial at the time; the Ptolemaic view of the universe, which was the prevailing theory for over 1000 years, was deeply ingrained in the prevailing philosophy and religion.

D

E

Einstein, Albert 1879-1955

Theoretical physicist who developed the special and general Theories of Relativity. He worked in Germany and the USA.

F

Franklin, Benjamin 1706-1790

American public official, writer, and scientist. Played a major part in the American Revolution and helped draft the Constitution. His numerous scientific and practical innovations include the lightning rod, bifocal spectacles, and a stove.

G

Galle, Johann Gottfried 1812-1910

German astronomer who made the first observation of the planet Neptune.

Galileo Galilei 1564-1642

Italian astronomer and physicist. The first to use a telescope to study the stars. Discoverer of the first moons of an extraterrestrial body (see Galilean Moons).

George III 1738-1820

King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820). His government's policies fed American colonial discontent, leading to revolution in 1776.

H

Hall, Asaph 1829-1907

American astronomer who discovered the two moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos.

Halley, Edmund 1656-1742

English astronomer who applied Newton's laws of motion to predict correctly the period of the comet which now bears his name.

Herschel, Sir William 1738-1822

British astronomer who discovered Uranus and cataloged more than 800 double stars and 2,500 nebulae.

Huygens, Christiaan 1629-1695

Dutch physicist and astronomer who first described the nature of Saturn's rings (1655) and discovered its moon Titan; also pioneered the use of the pendulum in clocks.

I

J

K

Kepler, Johannes 1571-1630

German astronomer and mathematician. Considered a founder of modern astronomy, he formulated three laws to clarify Copernicus' theory that the planets revolve around the Sun.

Kowal, Charles T. 1940-

American astronomer; discovered Leda and comet-like object Chiron.

Kuiper, Gerard, 1905-1973

Dutch-born American astronomer best known for his study of the surface of the Moon; discovered Miranda and Nereid, found an atmosphere on Titan.

L

Lagrange, Joseph Louis 1736-1813

French mathematician and astronomer; made a number of contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. Lagrange showed that three bodies can lie at the apexes of an equilateral triangle which rotates in its plane. If one of the bodies is sufficiently massive compared with the other two, then the triangular configuration is apparently stable. Several examples are known in the solar system: Sun-Jupiter-Trojan asteroids; Saturn-Dione-Helene; Saturn-Tethys-Telesto. The leading apex of the triangle is known as the leading Lagrange point or L4; the trailing apex is the trailing Lagrange point or L5.

Lassell, William 1799-1880

British astronomer, discovered Neptune's largest satellite, Triton and (with Bond) discovered Saturn's moon Hyperion. A successful brewer before turning to astronomy.

Lowell, Purcival 1855-1916.

American astronomer. He founded the Lowell Observatory in Arizona (1894), where his studies of Mars led him to believe that the planet was inhabited. His successors later discovered Pluto.

M

Marius, Simon 1573-1624

aka Mayr, German astronomer who gave Jupiter's "Galilean" moons their names. He and Galileo both claimed to have discovered them in 1610 and likely did so independently. They become involved in a dispute over priority. Marius was also the first to observe the Andromeda Nebula with a telescope and one of the first to observe sunspots.

N

Newton, Isaac 1642-1727

English mathematician and physicist; invented calculus; discovered the classical laws of motion and gravity; built the first reflecting telescope; demonstrated the compound nature of white light, laying the foundations of spectroscopy

Nicholson, Seth Barnes 1891-1963

American astronomer; discovered Lysithea, Ananke, Carme and Sinope; also did important work on sunspots.

O

Oort, Jan Hendrik 1900-1992

Dutch astronomer made major contributions to knowledge of the structure and rotation of our galaxy. More or less as a sideline, Oort studied comets as well. The result of this work was a theory, now widely accepted, that the Sun is surrounded by a distant cloud of comet-stuff, now called the Oort cloud, bits of which are occasionally hurled into the solar system as comets.

P

Perrine, Charles Dillon 1867-1951

Argentine-American astronomer who discovered Himalia and Elara.

Pickering, William Henry 1858-1938

American astronomer. His photographs of Mars, among the earliest obtained, provided a basis for his opposition to Lowell's observations of supposed canals on Mars. Discovered Phoebe.

Pope, Alexander 1688-1744

English writer best remembered for his satirical mock-epic poems The Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad.

Ptolemy, 2nd century AD

Alexandrian astronomer, mathematician, and geographer who based his astronomy on the belief that all heavenly bodies revolve around the earth.

Q

R

S

Shakespeare, William 1564-1616

English playwright and poet; wrote some good skits.

T

Tombaugh, Clyde 1906-

American astronomer; discovered Pluto.

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

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Copyright © 1995 by Calvin J. Hamilton. All rights reserved.
Last Modified: March 2, 1995