Ernest Esclangon
Encyclopedia
Ernest Benjamin Esclangon (March 17, 1876 – January 28, 1954) was a French
astronomer
and mathematician
.
Born in Mison
, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
, in 1895 he started to study mathematics
at the École Normale Supérieure
, graduating in 1898. Looking for some means of financial support while he completed his doctorate on quasi-periodic functions, he took a post at the Bordeaux Observatory
, teaching some mathematics at the university
.
During World War I
, he worked on ballistics
and developed a novel method for precisely locating enemy artillery. When a gun is fired, it initiates a spherical shock wave
but the projectile also generates a conical wave. By using the sound of distant guns to compare the two waves, Escaglon was able to make accurate predictions of gun locations.
After the armistice
, Esclangon became director of the Strasbourg Observatory and professor of astronomy at the university
the following year. In 1929, he was appointed director of the Paris Observatory
and of the International Time Bureau
, and elected to the Bureau des Longitudes
in 1932. In 1933, he initiated the talking clock telephone
service in France. He was elected to the Académie des Sciences in 1939.
Serving as director of the Paris Observatory throughout World War II
and the German occupation of Paris, he retired in 1944. He died in Eyrenville, France.
The binary asteroid
1509 Esclangona
is named after him.
The lunar crater Esclangon
is named after him.
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...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
.
Born in Mison
Mison
Mison is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province of Provence.- History :Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, in 1895 he started to study mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
, graduating in 1898. Looking for some means of financial support while he completed his doctorate on quasi-periodic functions, he took a post at the Bordeaux Observatory
Bordeaux Observatory
The Bordeaux Observatory is an astronomical observatory affiliated with the University of Bordeaux. Built in Floirac, France in 1893 its lenses were focused between +11 and +17 degrees declination. When in closed down in 1925 it had taken over 1260 plates . -External links:*...
, teaching some mathematics at the university
University of Bordeaux
University of Bordeaux is an association of higher education institutions in and around Bordeaux, France. Its current incarnation was established 21 March 2007. The group is the largest system of higher education schools in southwestern France. It is part of the Academy of Bordeaux.There are seven...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he worked on ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
and developed a novel method for precisely locating enemy artillery. When a gun is fired, it initiates a spherical shock wave
Shock wave
A shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
but the projectile also generates a conical wave. By using the sound of distant guns to compare the two waves, Escaglon was able to make accurate predictions of gun locations.
After the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
, Esclangon became director of the Strasbourg Observatory and professor of astronomy at the university
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
the following year. In 1929, he was appointed 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 of the International Time Bureau
International Time Bureau
The Bureau International de l'Heure or the International Time Bureau, seated at the Paris Observatory, was the international bureau responsible for combining different measurements of Universal Time. The bureau also played an important role in the research of time keeping...
, and 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...
in 1932. In 1933, he initiated the talking clock telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
service in France. He was elected to the Académie des Sciences in 1939.
Serving as director of the Paris Observatory throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the German occupation of Paris, he retired in 1944. He died in Eyrenville, France.
The binary asteroid
Binary asteroid
A binary asteroid is a system of two asteroids orbiting their common center of mass, in analogy with binary stars. 243 Ida was the first binary asteroid to be identified when the Galileo spacecraft did a flyby in 1993...
1509 Esclangona
1509 Esclangona
1509 Esclangona is a small inner main belt asteroid discovered on December 21, 1938 by André Patry from Nice, France. It is a member of the Hungaria family. Its provisional designation was 1938 YG. It measures 12 km in diameter...
is named after him.
The lunar crater Esclangon
Esclangon (crater)
Esclangon is a lunar crater that is located in the rugged terrain to the northwest of the prominent crater Macrobius, and east of Sinus Amoris. Just to the west-southwest is the crater Hill. Lacus Bonitatis, the Lake of Good, is located to the east and northeast of Esclangon.The interior of this...
is named after him.