Hugo von Seeliger

Johann Hugo Seeliger, since 1902 Ritter von Seeliger (born 23 September 1849 in Bielsko- Biala, † December 2, 1924 in Munich) was a German astronomer. He is considered one of the greatest astronomers of his time.

Life

Born in Bielsko Biala in in Austrian Silesia, the son of a wealthy family, which enabled him to devote himself free from limitations of science, he studied in Heidelberg and Leipzig, astronomy and mathematics. During his studies, he became in 1867 a member of the fraternity Franconia Heidelberg. He was a short time assistant at the Leipzig Observatory and came in 1873 as Observer at the Observatory in Bonn, where his observations of the meridian circle were transferred.

Soon after his habilitation in 1877 he resigned from his job and moved on to Leipzig as a private scholar. From 1 October 1881 to September 1, 1882 to Seeliger was director of the observatory Gotha for a short time. He was appointed professor, took an appointment at the University of Munich as director of the local observatory Bogenhausen at Gotha, and left again. In Munich Seeliger then remained until his death.

Seeliger received numerous awards, including the Royal Prussian Red Eagle III. Class in 1896, the Knight's Cross of Merit of the Bavarian Crown in 1902, the title and rank of the Royal Secret privy councilor in 1906, Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown 1908 Commander's Cross, First Class of the Royal Swedish North Star Order, 1912, Knight of the Royal Prussian Order Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts in 1915, and the Order of Merit of the Holy Michael II class star 1917. Due to the award of the Knight's Cross of Merit of the Bavarian crown Seeliger 1902 also raised to the personal nobility.

Seeliger was from April 1, 1919 to December 31, 1923 President of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and a member of the board of trustees of the Physikalisch -Technische Reich Institute. He was also from 1896 to 1921 Chairman of the Astronomical Society.

Seeliger's work are almost exclusively in the field of theory. Mention may be made especially his celestial mechanics studies of the multiple star system Zeta Cancri and its lighting theory of Saturn's rings and the zodiacal light based on their dust-like texture. Seeliger was also one of the founders of the stellar and the third director of the observatory Bogenhausen. His most important student applies Karl Schwarzschild.

The lunar crater Seeliger and the asteroid ( 892 ) Seeligeria are named after him.

Students

His students were (in http://genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=61848 ):

  • Julius Bauschinger, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1884
  • Ernst Anding, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1888
  • Richard Schorr, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1889
  • Karl Oertel, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1890
  • Oscar Hecker, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1891
  • Adalbert Bock, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1892
  • George Myers, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1896
  • Karl Schwarzschild, Ludwig- Maximilians- University, Munich 1897
  • Lucian Grabowski, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1900
  • Gustav Herglotz, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1900
  • Emil Silbernagel, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1905
  • Ernst Zapp, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1907
  • Kasimir Jantzen, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1912
  • Wilhelm Keil, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1918
  • Friedrich Burmeister, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1919
  • Gustav Schnauder, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1921
  • Walter Sametinger, Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich, 1924
September 23 Bielsko-Biała Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Astronomische Gesellschaft Lunar craters Seeliger (crater) (892) Seeligeria Neue Deutsche Biographie Astrophysics Data System Integrated Authority File
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