Amédée Mouchez
Encyclopedia
Amédée Ernest Barthélemy Mouchez (24 August 1821 – 29 June 1892) was a French
naval officer who became director of the Paris Observatory
and launched the ill-fated Carte du Ciel
project in 1887.
, Spain
, Mouchez embarked on a career in the French Navy
as an ensign
in 1843. This was a period of relative international maritime peace and much of the navy's activities were dedicated to exploration and discovery. Mouchez was initially occupied on hydrographic
studies along the coasts of Korea
, China
and South America
, penetrating 320 km up the Paraguay River
and exploring the Abrolhos Islands. He improved the practice of surveying
at sea, adapting terrestrial instruments for naval use, and was especially concerned with the problems of determining longitude
. He developed the use of the theodolite
and meridian telescope to improve the error in establishing longitude from around 30″ to 3-4″.
Attaining the rank of post captain
in 1868, he embarked on a series of expeditions to chart the coast of Algeria
. However, in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
, he was called upon to make an heroic defence of the port of Le Havre
.
Returning to his Algerian survey, he brought it to a conclusion in 1873, when he was elected to the Bureau des Longitudes
and, in the following year, was sponsored by the Académie des sciences to observe the transit of Venus from St. Paul Island
in the Indian Ocean
. On 9 December he made a sequence of superb photographic plates of the event.
In 1875, the Académie elected him a member of the astronomy
section and in 1878 he was promoted to rear admiral
and awarded the role of director of the Paris Observatory. The observatory had fallen into disrepair and disrepute since the chaos of the 1870 war and the Paris Commune
of 1871. Mouchez set about a programme of reconstruction but failed to persuade the government to fund a new observatory outside the centre of Paris
.
In 1887, he collaborated with Sir David Gill
to host an international astronomical conference in Paris. The principal outcome of the conference was a multi-national project to compile and index a photographic atlas of the heavens, the Carte du Ciel. The project consumed massive effort over several decades before it was rendered obsolete by modern astronomical methods.
Mouchez died in Wissous
, Seine-et-Oise
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
naval officer who became director of the Paris Observatory
Paris Observatory
The Paris Observatory is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centres in the world...
and launched the ill-fated Carte du Ciel
Carte du Ciel
The Carte du Ciel and the Astrographic Catalogue were two distinct but connected components of a massive international astronomical project, initiated in the late 19th century, to catalogue and map the positions of millions of stars as faint as 11th or 12th magnitude...
project in 1887.
Life
Born in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Mouchez embarked on a career in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
as an ensign
Comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various states' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference...
in 1843. This was a period of relative international maritime peace and much of the navy's activities were dedicated to exploration and discovery. Mouchez was initially occupied on hydrographic
Hydrography
Hydrography is the measurement of the depths, the tides and currents of a body of water and establishment of the sea, river or lake bed topography and morphology. Normally and historically for the purpose of charting a body of water for the safe navigation of shipping...
studies along the coasts of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, penetrating 320 km up the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
and exploring the Abrolhos Islands. He improved the practice of surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
at sea, adapting terrestrial instruments for naval use, and was especially concerned with the problems of determining longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. He developed the use of the theodolite
Theodolite
A theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are mainly used for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology...
and meridian telescope to improve the error in establishing longitude from around 30″ to 3-4″.
Attaining the rank of post captain
Comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various states' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference...
in 1868, he embarked on a series of expeditions to chart the coast of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. However, in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, he was called upon to make an heroic defence of the port of Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
.
Returning to his Algerian survey, he brought it to a conclusion in 1873, when he was elected to the Bureau des Longitudes
Bureau des Longitudes
The Bureau des Longitudes is a French scientific institution, founded by decree of 25 June 1795 and charged with the improvement of nautical navigation, standardisation of time-keeping, geodesy and astronomical observation. During the 19th century, it was responsible for synchronizing clocks...
and, in the following year, was sponsored by the Académie des sciences to observe the transit of Venus from St. Paul Island
Île Saint-Paul
Île Saint-Paul is an island forming part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Indian Ocean, with an area of . It is located about southwest of the larger Île Amsterdam, and south of Réunion...
in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. On 9 December he made a sequence of superb photographic plates of the event.
In 1875, the Académie elected him a member of the astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
section and in 1878 he was promoted to rear admiral
Comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various states' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference...
and awarded the role of director of the Paris Observatory. The observatory had fallen into disrepair and disrepute since the chaos of the 1870 war and the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
of 1871. Mouchez set about a programme of reconstruction but failed to persuade the government to fund a new observatory outside the centre of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
In 1887, he collaborated with Sir David Gill
David Gill (astronomer)
Sir David Gill FRS was a Scottish astronomer who is known for measuring astronomical distances, for astrophotography, and for geodesy. He spent much of his career in South Africa.- Life and work :...
to host an international astronomical conference in Paris. The principal outcome of the conference was a multi-national project to compile and index a photographic atlas of the heavens, the Carte du Ciel. The project consumed massive effort over several decades before it was rendered obsolete by modern astronomical methods.
Mouchez died in Wissous
Wissous
Wissous is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. Paris-Orly Airport is partially located in the commune.Inhabitants of Wissous are known as Wissoussiens.-History:...
, Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise was a département of France encompassing the western, northern, and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris. Its préfecture was Versailles and its official number was 78. Seine-et-Oise was abolished in 1968....
.
Works
- Recherches sur la longitude de la côte orientale de l'Amérique du sud (1866)
- Rio de la Plata. Description et instructions nautiques (1873)
- Instructions nautiques sur les côtes d'Algérie (1879)
- Rapport annuel de l'Observatoire de Paris (1885-1892)
- La photographie astronomique à l'Observatoire de Paris et de la Carte de ciel (1887)
- Instructions nautiques sur les côtes du Brésil (1890)
Sources
- [Anon.] (1875) Notice sur les travaux scientifiques de M. Mouchez, Paris
- [Anon.] (1892) Polybiblion, 2nd ser. 36, July-December
- [Anon.] (2001) "Carte du ciel", Encyclopaedia Britannica, Deluxe CDROM edition
- Simpkins, D. M. (1981) "Mouchez, Ernest Barthélémy", in
- Vapereau, G. (ed.) (1880) Dictionaire universel des contemporains, 5th ed., Paris
Catalogues of Mouchez' works
- Royal Society, Catalogue of Scientific Papers, IV 498, VIII 488, X 864;
- Poggendorff, III 940, IV 1034-1035;
- Catalogue général des livres imprimés de la Bibliothèque nationale, CXX, cols.533-538.