Jean-Baptiste Morin (mathematician)

Jean -Baptiste Morin (also: Morinus; born February 23, 1583 Villefranche, Yonne, † November 6, 1656 ) was a French astrologer, mathematician and astronomer.

At age 16 he began to study philosophy in Aix -en- Provence. From 1611 he studied medicine at Avignon, where he graduated in 1613 with Dr. med. He was then to 1623 the Bishop of Boulogne, who sent him to the study of mining in Germany and Hungary, and used it as astrologers. Until 1629, he was then in a similar function to the Duke of Luxembourg, but also found time for scientific papers on optics and astronomical observations with Pierre Gassendi. 1630 he was professor of mathematics at the Collège Royal, which he remained until his death.

As an astronomer, he was an opponent of the Copernican world view and attacked Galileo Galilei publicly. To solve the tendered by the Paris Academy for a prize longitude problem, he suggested the use of the lunar ephemeris before (including the parallax of the moon ). Cardinal Richelieu began a committee to assess his proposals, but that the price did not recognize him, because his method with the observation means the time was impractical. He received a pension of Mazarin in 1645 for his work on the longitude problem that was used for navigation on the high seas of immense practical importance.

Since he last attacked Descartes violently, he isolated himself late in life of his fellow scientists.

Works

• Tabulae Rudolphinae Ad meridianum Uraniburgi supputatæ / A Johanne Baptista Morino Doctore Medico, & Regional Parisiis Mathem. Professore ad accuratum & facile compendium redactæ. In: Astronomia Carolina, Nova theoria Motuum Coelestium, Secundum optimas Observationes & Rationi maxime consentanea funda Artis ...: cum ... tabulis & Præceptis per calculo Eclipsium & c. / Thomas Streete. - Noribergae [ Nuremberg ]: Otto, 1705.
• Jean -Baptiste Morin: Astrologia Gallica, Chiron Verlag ISBN 3925100261