Theodor von Oppolzer

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Theodor von Oppolzer (October 26, 1841–December 26, 1886) was a Czech astronomer and mathematician.

The son of the physician Johann Ritter von Oppolzer, Theodor was born in Prague, at the time part of the Austrian Empire. He completed his graduate studies in medicine at the University of Vienna, gaining a Ph.D. in 1865. He also owned a private observatory, however, and he then began teaching theoretical astronomy and geodesics at the university in 1866. By 1875 he was appointed a professor. In 1873 he became the director of the Austrian Geodetic Survey, and in 1886 he was elected president of the International Geodetic Association.

He was considered a very highly capable astronomer and mathematician. For example, he was reputed to have memorized the values of 14,000 logarithms. In 1868 he led an expedition to observe a solar eclipse. Afterward (1887) he authored the Canon der Finsternisse, an authoritative compilation of the 8,000 solar and 5,200 lunar eclipses from 1,200 B.C. until 2,161 A.D. This was widely recognized as one of the greatest computational feats of its day.

Dr. von Oppolzer authored over 300 papers, with most concerning the orbital elements of comets and asteroids. He also published a two volume manual detailing the determination of comets and planets. Both of his works served as standard astronomy references for many years.

He was working on an improved theory of lunar motion at the time of his death. His son Egon von Oppolzer also became a distinguished astronomer.

[edit] Awards and honors

• Elected to the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Vienna, 1882.
• Elected to the American National Academy of Sciences, 1883.
• Oppolzer crater on the Moon was named after him.
• Asteroid 1492 Oppolzer was named for him. In addition asteroids were named for his wife (237 Coelestina), and his two daughters (153 Hilda and 228 Agathe).