Jean-Baptiste Joseph Delambre

Jean -Baptiste Joseph Delambre ( born September 19, 1749 Amiens; † August 19, 1822 in Paris) was a French astronomer.

Delambre devoted himself first historical and literary, and later science and mathematics studies. Since 1771 he was employed as a teacher at the court of general tenant Jean -Claude Geoffroy d' Assy in Paris to teach his son. On the advice of Lalande, he turned to astronomy and turned on the small observatory that had it built d' Assy, successful observations.

The discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781 by Herschel gave Delambre then have the opportunity to make themselves known in literature. Then he made the sun and planetary tables of (1789 for Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus, but especially for the moons of Jupiter ).

1792 Delambre was admitted to the Académie des sciences. After being rebuilt, the Bureau des Longitudes, he was also employed in 1795 as a member and in 1803 Permanent Secretary of the Institute. 1807 he was appointed professor at the Collège de France in Paris. Since 1808, he was also treasurer of the Imperial University. He joined in 1815 to retire.

Together with Pierre Méchain surveyed Delambre 1792-1798 in the so-called Meridian expedition, the distance between Dunkirk and Barcelona. The results served as the basis for the definition of the meter. Delambre took on the expedition to the northern part of the measurement ( see also degree measurement).

Jean Joseph Delambre died on August 19, 1822 in Paris.

Delambre was notably immortalized as one of 72 scientists and engineers at the Eiffel Tower. In addition, the lunar crater Delambre is named after him.

Publications

  • Astronomy théoretique et pratique. 3 vols Paris ( 1814)
  • Histoire de l' ancienne astronomy. 2 vols Paris ( 1817)
  • Histoire de l' au moyen - age astronomy. Paris ( 1819)
  • Histoire de l' modern astronomy. 2 vols Paris ( 1821)
  • Histoire de l' au 18e siècle astronomy. Paris (1827, ed. Mathieu )
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