Jean A. Oudemans

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Jean Abraham Chrétien Oudemans (December 16, 1827 – December 14, 1906) was a Dutch astronomer. He was the director of the Utrecht Observatory from 1875 until 1898, when he retired.

Born in Amsterdam, he became a high school teacher in Leiden when he was just 19 (1846). Then in 1856 he became professor at the Utrecht University and became director of the observatory for the first time. However, his interest drew him towards geography. He travelled to the Dutch East Indies as an engineer, and worked there for 18 years, publishing his works on the triangulation of the island of Java in six books.

In 1874 he observed the Venus transit from the island of Réunion, although in bad weather. In 1889 he published a star map.

A crater on Mars was named in his honor.