Theodor von Oppolzer
Encyclopedia
Theodor von Oppolzer was an Austrian
astronomer
and mathematician
.
The son of the physician
Johann Ritter von Oppolzer
, Theodor was born in Prague
, at the time part of the Austrian Empire
. He completed his graduate studies in medicine
at the University of Vienna
, gaining a Ph.D.
in 1865. He also owned a private observatory, however, and he then began teaching theoretical astronomy and geodesics at the university in 1866. By 1875 he was appointed a professor. In 1873 he became the director of the Austrian Geodetic Survey, and in 1886 he was elected president of the International Geodetic Association.
He was considered a very highly capable astronomer and mathematician. For example, he was reputed to have memorized the values of 14,000 logarithm
s. In 1868 he led an expedition to observe a solar eclipse
. Afterward (1887) he authored the Canon der Finsternisse
, an authoritative compilation of the 8,000 solar and 5,200 lunar eclipses from 1,200 B.C. until 2,161 A.D. This was widely recognized as one of the greatest computational feats of its day.
Oppolzer authored over 300 papers, with most concerning the orbital elements of comet
s and asteroid
s. He also published a two-volume manual on the determination of the orbital elements of comets and planets. Both of his works served as standard astronomy references for many years.
He was working on an improved theory of lunar motion at the time of his death. His son Egon von Oppolzer also became a distinguished astronomer.
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
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....
.
The son of the physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Johann Ritter von Oppolzer
Johann Ritter von Oppolzer
Johann Ritter von Oppolzer was an Austrian physician born in Nové Hrady, Bohemia. He was the father of the astronomer Theodor von Oppolzer ....
, Theodor was born in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, at the time part of the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
. He completed his graduate studies in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, gaining a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1865. He also owned a private observatory, however, and he then began teaching theoretical astronomy and geodesics at the university in 1866. By 1875 he was appointed a professor. In 1873 he became the director of the Austrian Geodetic Survey, and in 1886 he was elected president of the International Geodetic Association.
He was considered a very highly capable astronomer and mathematician. For example, he was reputed to have memorized the values of 14,000 logarithm
Logarithm
The logarithm of a number is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base, has to be raised to produce that number. For example, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3, because 1000 is 10 to the power 3: More generally, if x = by, then y is the logarithm of x to base b, and is written...
s. In 1868 he led an expedition to observe a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
. Afterward (1887) he authored the Canon der Finsternisse
Canon of Eclipses
The Canon of Eclipses , published in 1887 at the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Vienna by Theodor Ritter von Oppolzer, is a compilation of over 13000 eclipses, including all solar and all umbral lunar eclipses between the years 1207 BC and 2161 CE. It was republished by Dover Books in 1962....
, an authoritative compilation of the 8,000 solar and 5,200 lunar eclipses from 1,200 B.C. until 2,161 A.D. This was widely recognized as one of the greatest computational feats of its day.
Oppolzer authored over 300 papers, with most concerning the orbital elements of 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...
s and 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...
s. He also published a two-volume manual on the determination of the orbital elements of comets and planets. Both of his works served as standard astronomy references for many years.
He was working on an improved theory of lunar motion at the time of his death. His son Egon von Oppolzer also became a distinguished astronomer.
Awards and honors
- Elected to the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Vienna, 1882.
- Elected to the American National Academy of Sciences, 1883.
- The crater OppolzerOppolzer (crater)Oppolzer is the remnant of a lunar crater that is located on the southern edge of Sinus Medii, along the meridian of the Moon. It is located within one crater diameter of the origin of the selenographic coordinate system at 0° N, 0° W. Attached to the surviving remnants of the southeast rim is the...
on the MoonMoonThe 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 after him. - AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
1492 Oppolzer1492 Oppolzer1492 Oppolzer is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 23, 1938 by Y. Vaisala at Turku.- External links :*...
was named for him. In addition asteroids were named for his wife (237 Coelestina237 Coelestina237 Coelestina is a typical Main belt asteroid.It was discovered by Johann Palisa on June 27, 1884 in Vienna and was named after Coelestine, wife of astronomer Theodor von Oppolzer.- References :...
), and his two daughters (153 Hilda153 Hilda153 Hilda is a large asteroid in the outer main belt, with a diameter of 170 km. Because it is composed of primitive carbonaceous materials, it has a very dark surface. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on November 2, 1875 from the Austrian Naval Observatory at Pula...
and 228 Agathe228 Agathe228 Agathe is a small main belt asteroid.It was discovered by Johann Palisa on August 19, 1882 in Vienna.- References :*[ftp://ftp.lowell.edu/pub/elgb/astorb.html The Asteroid Orbital Elements Database]*...
).