Johann Nepomuk Krieger
Encyclopedia
Johann Nepomuk Krieger was a draftsman and selenographer
. The crater Krieger
on the Moon
is named in his honor.
Krieger was born in Bavaria
, the son of a master brewer. At an early age he gained an interest in astronomy
. He only received school education up to the age of 15, when he departed. However he gained an inheritance, and used the money to build an observatory in the suburbs of Munich, Germany. He had been inspired by the director of the Cologne Observatory to make the study and observation of the Moon his life's work.
Krieger decided to create a definitive map of the Moon. For this purpose he obtained a series of low-resolution negatives of the lunar surface that had been taken at the Lick
and Paris
observatories
. He enlarged these images and used them to provide positional accuracy for his subsequent drawings. His illustrations of the Moon were made in charcoal, graphite pencil, and ink, and were considered superior to any previously produced lunar maps in their accuracy and level of detail, and continue to be considered works of art.
He lived long enough to see his first 28 plates published as volume 1 of his "Mond Atlas". However his health had suffered, possibly due to his long nightly labors at his telescope. About 10 years following his death, his remaining drawings and sketches were published in a second volume by the Austria
n selenographer Rudolf König
.
His wife was named Pia, and her name was given to Krieger's Piu Observatory in Trieste, Italy. The asteroid
614 Pia
is thought to have been named for this observatory, and hence for her.
Selenography
Selenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon. Historically, the principal concern of selenographists was the mapping and naming of the lunar maria, craters, mountain ranges, and other various features...
. The crater Krieger
Krieger (crater)
Krieger is a lunar crater on the eastern part of the Oceanus Procellarum. It is located to the north-northwest of the flooded crater Prinz, and north-northeast of the prominent ray crater Aristarchus. To the northwest lies the small Wollaston....
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named in his honor.
Krieger was born in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, the son of a master brewer. At an early age he gained an interest in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. He only received school education up to the age of 15, when he departed. However he gained an inheritance, and used the money to build an observatory in the suburbs of Munich, Germany. He had been inspired by the director of the Cologne Observatory to make the study and observation of the Moon his life's work.
Krieger decided to create a definitive map of the Moon. For this purpose he obtained a series of low-resolution negatives of the lunar surface that had been taken at the Lick
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
and Paris
Paris Observatory
The Paris Observatory is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centres in the world...
observatories
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
. He enlarged these images and used them to provide positional accuracy for his subsequent drawings. His illustrations of the Moon were made in charcoal, graphite pencil, and ink, and were considered superior to any previously produced lunar maps in their accuracy and level of detail, and continue to be considered works of art.
He lived long enough to see his first 28 plates published as volume 1 of his "Mond Atlas". However his health had suffered, possibly due to his long nightly labors at his telescope. About 10 years following his death, his remaining drawings and sketches were published in a second volume by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n selenographer Rudolf König
Rudolf König
Rudolf König was an Austrian merchant, amateur astronomer and selenographer.He was born in Vienna and received his technical education in Leipzig...
.
His wife was named Pia, and her name was given to Krieger's Piu Observatory in Trieste, Italy. The asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
614 Pia
614 Pia
614 Pia is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. The planet is native to the asteroid belt and was first seen and discovered on October 11, 1906 by August Kopff-External links:*...
is thought to have been named for this observatory, and hence for her.