Guillaume Le Gentil

Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean -Baptiste Le Gentil de la Galaisière ( born September 12, 1725 † October 22, 1792 ) was a French astronomer and member of the French Academy of Sciences.

He discovered several astronomical fog.

Observation of the Venus Passage

1761 sent the French Academy of Sciences astronomers from all parts of the world to observe the Venus Passage. The aim was to calculate the exact distance of the earth to the sun. Le Gentil traveled to Pondicherry in India. However, the city fell due to the Seven Years War, shortly before his arrival into the hands of the English. Therefore, Le Gentil was forced to make his observations from the ship, but its fluctuations made ​​the results useless.

Since eight years later was to be a Venus Passage to Le Gentil decided to stay in 1769 to carry out the measurements again. He spent before his time especially in Madagascar and had to experience the passage in Manila in the Philippines. Since this is not allowed by the Spanish authorities in Manila, he traveled back to Pondicherry. The city was at the time back in French hands.

On the day of measurement, then clouds prevented views of the celestial event, which is why Le Gentil had to return empty-handed at the end. On his return journey he also became ill with dysentery and his ship encountered a storm, where it was damaged. On the island of Réunion (then Bourbon Island ), he had to wait until a Spanish ship took him.

When he arrived after more than eleven years in October 1771 in Paris again, had already declared him his family dead and divided his property. The Academy had already taken his place again.

Works

  • Le Gentil, 1749. Mémoire sur une nouvelle étoile nébuleuse ment découverte à côte de celle qui est celle de la ceinture de audessus d' ANDROMEDE [ Memoir on a nebulous star near newly Discovered That Which is above the girdle of Andromeda ]. Sav. étrangers, Vol II, p. 137-145 (1755 ).
  • Le Gentil, 1759: Remarques sur les Stars Nebuleuses. Mémoires de l' Académie Royale des Sciences. Année M.DCCLIX. [ Remarks on the Nebulous Stars. Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences. For the year 1759. ] P. 453-471 Pl 21 Paris, 1765th
  • A Voyage in the Indian Ocean ( 2 volumes, 1779 and 1781)
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