Camille Flammarion

Nicolas Camille Flammarion ( born February 26, 1842 in Montigny -le- Roi (Haute -Marne, France ), June 3, 1925 † in Juvisy -sur -Orge ( Essonne département ) ) was a French astronomer and author of popular science writings and first president founded by him in 1887 Astronomique Société de France ( SAF).

Life and work

His 1912 published autobiography describes in detail his youth. Flammarion was interested at a young age in astronomy. At the age of 16, he wrote a 500 -page manuscript entitled Cosmologie Universal and became assistant to the astronomer Leverrier at Paris Observatory. As a 19 -year-old in 1861 he published "The majority of inhabited worlds ." In it, he sat down with the possibility of life on other heavenly bodies apart and took the view that the Earth does not occupy a special position, but life can exist on the other planets of the solar system. In this context, he was also with the question of meaning in the universe. Flammarion comes to the following conclusion: If the universe came by chance - that is meaningless - it is large enough to produce life elsewhere. Did the universe and life on earth a meaning, it would be absurd to believe that this wondrous and diverse universe was created without any creatures that are supposed to ignore this and explore. The book was translated into several languages.

Flammarion soon after lost his position at the observatory and worked from 1862 to 1867 for the Institut de Longitudes; In 1867 he undertook nine air travel by balloon for scientific observations; then he returned to the observatory, where he participated in a project for the systematic observation of double stars. The result of the project was a catalog of 10,000 double stars, which was published in 1878. In addition, Flammarion watched the moon and Mars. In 1873 he put forward the theory that the red color of Mars is due to vegetation.

In 1877, he came in a used book store on an output of the Messier catalog, containing handwritten notes and annotations by Charles Messier. He then revised the catalog and found that the Messier object M102 consistent with the galaxy NGC 5866. In 1921, he added M104, aka Sombrero, the Messier catalog added.

As Flammarion's woodcut known was an image that Flammarion published in his 1888 tape L' Atmosphčre. Météorologie populaire published on page 163. The image is subtitled " A missionary of the Middle Ages tells that he has found the point where heaven and earth touch ..." and shows a kneeling on the flat earth observer who looks behind the starry sky and behind it sees. The figure was very popular in the 20th century.

Flammarion published about 50 popular science works, including 1879 L' astronomy Populaire, which has sold 100,000 issues, as well as La Planète Mars ( Volume 1 1892 Volume 2 1909), in which he supported the existence of the canals of Mars, built by a highly developed culture were, and encouraged amateur astronomers to our own observations. He also wrote fantasy stories, including Uranie (1889; German Urania ) and Stella ( 1897). In La Fin du Monde (1894 ) to mix science and fantastic elements in describing the future of humanity in the 25th century and in 10 million years.

Flammarion sat beyond with spiritualism and parapsychology apart and took the view that the soul has an existence independent from the body and having skills that were unknown to science until now. Thus, the soul can also develop over longer distances its effect. He was co-founder and member of the French Theosophical Society. In 1923 he was president of the Society for Psychical Research.

1887, Flammarion Société Astronomique de France. He was very well read and contributed during his life an extensive astronomical library together, which included 10,000 volumes in 1910.

In 1922, he was inducted into the Legion of Honor for his life's work.

In his honor, the 74 km wide crater Flammarion, Mars crater Flammarion and the asteroid ( 1021) Flammario were named.

Camille Flammarion was the brother of Ernest Flammarion (1846-1936), the founder of the Parisian publishing house Flammarion, and the grandfather of radio pioneer Léon Deloy.

Works

  • Autobiography. Mémoires d'un biographiques et philosophiques astronome, Paris 1912 Gallica

Flammarion's books have been partially translated into German and published, including:

  • The majority of inhabited worlds. Verlagsbuchhandlung J.J.Weber, Leipzig 1865
  • Unknown natural forces. J. Hoffmann, Stuttgart 1908
  • Sky - customer for the people. Publisher of tooth, Neuchâtel 1908
  • Mystery of the psychic life. J. Hoffmann, Stuttgart 1919
  • God in nature. Hendel, Halle 1920
  • Walks in the world of stars. G. Westermann, Braunschweig 1922
  • Comet and Earth - An astronomical narrative. Philipp Reclam, Leipzig 1910
  • The majority of inhabited worlds, a study of the conditions of habitability of the heavenly bodies will be developed and discussed from the standpoint of astronomy and physiology of. Dieter von Reeken, Lüneburg 2004, ISBN 3-8334-0882-0
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