Johann Kies

John Gravel ( born 14 September 1713 in Tübingen, † July 29, 1781 ) was a German astronomer.

Life and work

Gravel was educated in the monastery and studied mathematics and theology. After he vikarierte at various Swabian parishes, he entered Warsaw in the service of Prince Czartoryski. On the recommendation of Leonhard Euler gravel was hired on November 22, 1742 at the Royal Prussian Society of Sciences. There he was appointed professor of mathematics and physics as well in 1743 as an astronomer of the Academy or the Berlin Observatory; on February 13, 1744 he became a full member of the Academy. While he held the office of Observators in Berlin, Jérôme Lalande was added to simultaneously determine Nicolas Louis de Lacaille at the Cape of Good Hope by synchronous observations of Mars the solar parallax more accurately. On September 20, 1754 was appointed by the ordinary gravel to foreign academician and came back this year to Tübingen. There he took over the office of a professor of mathematics at the Collegium illustrious and the librarian to the university. 1760, 1766/67 and 1775 he was rector of the University of Tübingen.

Two of his painted in the 18th century portraits hang in the Tübingen professor gallery. Johann gravel honor carries the lunar crater gravel his name.