Maximilian Hell

Maximilian Hell ( born May 15, 1720 in Schemnitz, † April 14, 1792 in Vienna ) was an Austrian Jesuit and astronomer.

Life and work

Light entered the Jesuits in 1738 and studied mathematics and philosophy at the University of Vienna. Since 1745, he assisted the astronomer Joseph Franz ( 1704-1776 ), in the years 1746-1747 he worked as a teacher in Leutschau. He then studied theology in Vienna and received in 1752 the priest. He then worked as a teacher in Cluj, where he was also commissioned with the construction of an observatory. Bright was the successor to the Hofastronoms Johann Jakob Marinoni (1676-1755) from 1755 director of the Vienna University Observatory.

Bright published the astronomical tables " Ephemerides astronomicae ad meridianum Vindobonensem ", a work in 37 volumes, in which the ephemeris were published for the years 1757-1792.

In Vardo ( Northern Norway ) he observed in 1769 at the invitation of the Danish King Christian VII of the transit of Venus. From the world's collected observations of the transit of Venus from 1761 to 1769, calculated Hell the distance between the Sun and Earth to 152 million km ( modern value of 149.6 million km ). In Vardo there are two memorial plaques for him. The observatory built by Hell there no longer exists.

Hell was buried in Maria Enzersdorf in Lower Austria.

His brother Jozef Karol Hell (1713-1789) invented in 1755 the water pump.

Appreciation

In 1894 in Vienna Ottakring ( 16th district ) was named the Hellgasse after him. 2010, a bust of him was erected at Maria Enzersdorfer cemetery., After he was indeed buried here, the grave was already in the 19th century already fallen and was reassigned.

The lunar crater Hell is named after him. The Museum of the Vienna University Observatory since 2012 bears the name " Astronomical Permanent Collection, Maximilian Hell. '"

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