Gottfried Kirch

Gottfried Kirch

Gottfried Kirch (Kirche, Kirkius) (December 18, 1639—July 25, 1710) was a German astronomer. The son of a shoemaker in Guben, Electorate of Saxony, Kirch first worked as a calendar-maker in Saxonia and Franconia. He began to learn astronomy in Jena, and studied under Hevelius in Danzig. In Danzig in 1667, Kirch published calendars and built several telescopes and instruments.

In 1686, Kirch went to Leipzig. There, he observed the great comet of 1686, together with Christoph Arnold. At Leipzig, Kirch also met his second wife, Maria Margarethe Winckelmann (1670-1720), who had learned astronomy from Arnold.In 1688, he invented and charted the now obsolete constellation Sceptrum Brandenburgicum, the Brandenburg Scepter. Later, in 1699, he observed comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle but this observation was not recognized until later analysis by Joachim Schubart. [ [http://cometography.com/pcomets/055p.html C&MS: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle ] ]

In 1700, Kirch was appointed by Frederick I of Prussia as the first astronomer of the Prussian Royal Society of Sciences.

Kirch studied the double star Mizar, and discovered both the Wild Duck Cluster (Messier 11) (1681) and Globular Cluster M5 (May 5, 1702). He also discovered the variability of the Mira variable Chi Cygni in 1686.

He died at Berlin at the age of seventy-one.

Kirch crater, on the Moon, is named after him. The asteroid 6841 Gottfriedkirch is also named after him.

Kirch was married to the self-taught astronomer Maria Winkelmann.

See also

* List of astronomical instrument makers

ources

* [http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/Bios/kirch.html Messier Catalog: Online Biography of Gottfried Kirch]

References

* "Robert Burnham Jr.: Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Volume Two, p. 762)"


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  • Gottfried Kirch — (Pseudonyme: Sibyll Ptolemain, Johann Friedrich von Rosenfeld, Hipparchus) (* 18. Dezember 1639 in Guben; † 25. Juli 1710 in Berlin) war Schulmeister, Kalendermacher und Königlicher Astronom in Berlin …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gottfried Kirch — (ou Kirche, ou Kirkius) est un astronome allemand, né le 18 décembre 1639 à Guben en Saxe et mort le 25 juillet 1710 à Berlin. Ce fils d un cordonnier de Guben commence à travailler comme fabricant de calendriers en Saxe et en Franconie. Il… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kirch — may refer to:;People *Gottfried Kirch (1639 – 1710), German astronomer *Maria Margarethe Kirch (née Winckelmann) (1670 – 1720), German astronomer and spouse of Gottfried Kirch *Leo Kirch (born 1926), German media entrepreneur *Oliver Kirch (born… …   Wikipedia

  • Kirch — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: August Kirch (1879–1959), deutscher Politiker Christfried Kirch (1694−1740), deutscher Astronom Christine Kirch (1697−1782), deutsche Astronomin Gottfried Kirch (1639–1710), deutscher Astronom Leo Kirch… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kirch (Mondkrater) — Eigenschaften Breite 39,2° N Länge 5,6° W Durchmesser 11 km Tiefe 1,8 km Selenografische Länge 6° bei Sonnenaufgang Benannt nach Gottfried Kirch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kirch (crater) — lunar crater data latitude=39.2 N or S=N longitude=5.6 E or W=W diameter=11 km depth=1.8 km colong=6 eponym=Gottfried KirchKirch is a small lunar impact crater in the eastern part of the Mare Imbrium, a large lunar mare in the northwest quadrant… …   Wikipedia

  • Kirch Kogel — 53.65023212.159147 Koordinaten: 53° 39′ N, 12° 10′ O …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Maria Margaretha Kirch — Maria Margaretha Kirch, geborene Winkelmann (* 25. Februar 1670 in Panitzsch bei Leipzig; † 29. Dezember 1720 in Berlin), war eine deutsche Astronomin. Leben Maria Margaretha Winkelmann war die jüngste von drei Töchtern des lutherischen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Maria Margarethe Kirch — (born Winkelmann) Born February 25, 1670(1670 02 25) Leipzig, Electorate of Saxony Died December 29, 1720 …   Wikipedia

  • Christine Kirch — (* April 1697 in Guben; † 6. Mai 1782 in Berlin) war Kalendermacherin und Astronomin in Berlin. Leben und Wirken Sie war die Tochter von Gottfried Kirch und Maria Margaretha Kirch sowie Schwester von Christfried Kirch. Bereits früh wurde… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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