Emmanuel Liais
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Liais was a French
astronomer
, botanist and explorer who spent many years in Brazil
.
He was born in Cherbourg, the son of a wealthy family in the shipbuilding
industry.
He was an amateur scientist
and made some meteorological
observations and wrote some papers. The astronomer François Arago
took note of one of his papers written in 1852, which determined that the weather in his hometown was milder than that of Paris
.
He then went to Paris in 1854 and worked at the Paris Observatory
. There he assisted Urbain Le Verrier in creating a telegraphic meteorological network. He went to Brazil
to observe the solar eclipse of September 7, 1858
and ended up staying there for a long time. He became a close acquaintance of the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II
, and became the director of the Imperial Observatory at Rio de Janeiro
from January to July 1871 and again from 1874 to 1881.
Although the observatory had been founded in 1827, in reality it was occupied mostly with teaching students of military schools. Liais reorganized it to concentrate on research.
He discovered the comet
C/1860 D1 (Liais). This was his only comet discovery and the first comet discovered in Brazil.
He made astronomical observations of Mars
and in 1865 speculated that the dark albedo feature
s were vegetation and not water (in fact, as we know today, they are neither).
At the behest of the emperor, he made extensive exploration expeditions within Brazil and studied the plants of remote regions, sending some of them to France. He wrote a book entitled Climats, géologie, faune et géographie botanique du Brésil (Paris: Garnier Frères, 1872).
In 1878 a public dispute developed between him and Manoel Pereira Reis and his position at the observatory gradually became untenable. At the beginning of 1881 he resigned and returned to his hometown of Cherbourg.
He was mayor of Cherbourg from 1884–1886 and again from 1892 until his death in 1900. He imported exotic plants from South America
and Asia
to Cherbourg.
He married a Dutch woman, Margaritha Trovwen, but they had no children. He bequeathed his property, located in a magnificent botanical park, to the city of Cherbourg. It is now known as the Emmanuel Liais Gardens.
A crater
on Mars is named after him. In addition to the park named after him, there is also "Emmanuel Liais" street in Cherbourg.
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...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, botanist and explorer who spent many years in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
He was born in Cherbourg, the son of a wealthy family in the shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
industry.
He was an amateur scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and made some meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
observations and wrote some papers. The astronomer François Arago
François Arago
François Jean Dominique Arago , known simply as François Arago , was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer and politician.-Early life and work:...
took note of one of his papers written in 1852, which determined that the weather in his hometown was milder than that 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...
.
He then went to Paris in 1854 and worked at 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...
. There he assisted Urbain Le Verrier in creating a telegraphic meteorological network. He went to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to observe the solar eclipse of September 7, 1858
Solar eclipse of September 7, 1858
A total solar eclipse occurred on September 7, 1858. It was visible across South America.- Observations:Emmanuel Liais from Brazil-References:* ** **...
and ended up staying there for a long time. He became a close acquaintance of the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
, and became the director of the Imperial Observatory at Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
from January to July 1871 and again from 1874 to 1881.
Although the observatory had been founded in 1827, in reality it was occupied mostly with teaching students of military schools. Liais reorganized it to concentrate on research.
He discovered the comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
C/1860 D1 (Liais). This was his only comet discovery and the first comet discovered in Brazil.
He made astronomical observations of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and in 1865 speculated that the dark albedo feature
Albedo feature
An albedo feature is a large area on the surface of a planet which shows a contrast in brightness or darkness with adjacent areas....
s were vegetation and not water (in fact, as we know today, they are neither).
At the behest of the emperor, he made extensive exploration expeditions within Brazil and studied the plants of remote regions, sending some of them to France. He wrote a book entitled Climats, géologie, faune et géographie botanique du Brésil (Paris: Garnier Frères, 1872).
In 1878 a public dispute developed between him and Manoel Pereira Reis and his position at the observatory gradually became untenable. At the beginning of 1881 he resigned and returned to his hometown of Cherbourg.
He was mayor of Cherbourg from 1884–1886 and again from 1892 until his death in 1900. He imported exotic plants from 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...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to Cherbourg.
He married a Dutch woman, Margaritha Trovwen, but they had no children. He bequeathed his property, located in a magnificent botanical park, to the city of Cherbourg. It is now known as the Emmanuel Liais Gardens.
A crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on Mars is named after him. In addition to the park named after him, there is also "Emmanuel Liais" street in Cherbourg.