Félix Tisserand

François Félix Tisserand ( born January 13, 1845 in Nuits -Saint -Georges, † October 20th 1896 in Paris) was a French astronomer.

Tisserand studied at the École normale supérieure in mathematics and physics. He was hired in 1866 at the Paris Observatory as an adjunct, and came in 1873 as director of the observatory to Toulouse, where he was professor. In 1878 he was appointed a member of the Paris Academy of Sciences ( Académie des sciences ). In 1883 he became the successor of Victor Puiseux in the chair of celestial mechanics at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1892 he became head of the Paris Observatory. There, he conducted the project Carte du Ciel in the course of the entire sky should be mapped photographically. At the same time he initiated a Photo Atlas of the Moon, the Atlas photographique de la lune. This was superseded only in the course of the moon landings as an astronomical reference.

Effect

In recognition of the lunar crater Tisserand and the asteroid ( 3663 ) Tisserand was named after him. Shortly before his death he developed a criterion for review of cometary orbits, the Tisserandkriterium. In his honor was unveiled a monument at his birthplace in 1899.

Writings

• Traité de mécanique Céleste. (4 volumes)