Heinrich Kreutz
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Carl Friedrich Kreutz (September 8, 1854 – July 13, 1907) was a German
astronomer
, most notable for his studies of the orbits of several sungrazing comet
s, which revealed that they were all related objects, produced when a very large sun-grazing comet fragmented several hundred years previously. The group is now known as the Kreutz Sungrazers
, and has produced some of the brightest comets ever seen.
Kreutz was born in Siegen
in 1854, and obtained his PhD
at the University of Bonn
in 1880. In 1882 he moved to Kiel
, working at the observatory and university there. In 1896 he became the editor of the Astronomische Nachrichten
, the leading astronomical journal
of the time, and held the position until his death in 1907.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
, most notable for his studies of the orbits of several sungrazing comet
Sungrazing comet
A sungrazing comet is a comet that passes extremely close to the Sun at perihelion – sometimes within a few thousand kilometres of the Sun's surface. While small sungrazers can be completely evaporated during such a close approach to the Sun, larger sungrazers can survive many perihelion passages...
s, which revealed that they were all related objects, produced when a very large sun-grazing comet fragmented several hundred years previously. The group is now known as the Kreutz Sungrazers
Kreutz Sungrazers
The Kreutz Sungrazers are a family of sungrazing comets, characterized by orbits taking them extremely close to the Sun at perihelion. They are believed to be fragments of one large comet that broke up several centuries ago and are named for German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first...
, and has produced some of the brightest comets ever seen.
Kreutz was born in Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
in 1854, and obtained his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
in 1880. In 1882 he moved to Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, working at the observatory and university there. In 1896 he became the editor of the Astronomische Nachrichten
Astronomische Nachrichten
Astronomische Nachrichten , one of the first international journals in the field of astronomy, was founded in 1821 by the German astronomer Heinrich Christian Schumacher. It claims to be the oldest astronomical journal in the world that is still being published...
, the leading astronomical journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
of the time, and held the position until his death in 1907.