Gottfried Kirch

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Gottfried Kirch
Maria Margaretha Winkelmann
ChildrenChristfried Kirch
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsBerlin Observatory
Academic advisorsErhard Weigel

Gottfried Kirch (German: [ˈkɪʁç]; also Kirche[1] [ˈkɪʁçə], Kirkius;[1] 18 December 1639 – 25 July 1710) was a German astronomer and the first "Astronomer Royal" in Berlin and, as such, director of the nascent Berlin Observatory.

Life and work

The son of Michael Kirch,

Danzig. In Danzig in 1667, Kirch published calendars and built several telescopes and instruments. In 1679 he invented a screw micrometer for astronomical measurements. He became an astronomer working in Coburg, Leipzig and Guben as well from 1700 in Berlin
.

In the last quarter of the 17th century, Kirch was the most-read calendar maker and counted as one of the leading Germans. In 1680 he discovered a

Joachim Schubart.[4]

For a long period, he was unable to find employment, so he had to earn his living through the publication of Almanacs/ Calendars. He was assisted in the calculations by his second wife and their children. A few series of almanacs appeared across several decades. For a time, he published up to 13 almanacs a year, a few appearing under pseudonyms, and he also continued established almanacs from other authors under their name. As examples could be cited Christian-, Jewish- und Turkish-Almanac, the Gipsy-Almanac the Sibylla Ptolemaein, a Gipsywoman from Alexandria in Egypten, the Astronomischen Wunder-Kalender, the Wahrhaftigen Himmels-Boten, the Gespenster- und Haushaltungs-Kalender by Johann Friedrich von Rosenfeld / Der Astronomiae Ergebener and from 1700 the various Academy Almanacs as "Astronomer Royal" in Berlin.

It is only recently that the importance of the Kirch's Almanacs has been recognized for the distribution of ideas of the Enlightenment and Pietism to the wider population. The functions of almanacs are Information, Education and Discussion. Kirch's Calendars are noted additionally for the announcement of both his own results as well as results from abroad. A few almanacs anticipate the Astronomisches Jahrbuch. Further aspects are the transmission of new ideas to ordinary people in conjunction with a growing distancing from astrological superstition and criticisms of orthodox beliefs. The accompaniment to all almanacs Zugaben / Oder Astrologisches Bedencken / von dem Lauff und der Wirckung des Gestirnten Himmels / ... (example from the Zigeuner-Kalender) had been demanded by the publishers, as otherwise the almanacs did not sell well. Astrological ideas were still not fully overcome at this time, but he attacked the practice of astrological forecasting and the mendacity of many almanac makers of his time as being a sin against God, especially prophecies regarding war and peace.

Beginning in 1675 he pursued the idea of founding an Astronomical Society in Germany. It was to be open to all astronomers independent of nationality or religious persuasion. He promoted the idea that all astronomers should send their observations to a central location where they could be published as soon as possible. He considered

Frankfurt am Main to be the ideal location, for one because of the Messe (fair) and on the other hand because of its easy connection to the Netherlands via the Rivers Main and Rhine. The planned society should also serve to coordinate the observing of astronomical events such as eclipses and transits of planets. In particular he organized observations of the transit of Mercury
on 31 October or 1 November 1690 in quasi-military fashion. However he appears to have made no concrete steps to set up such a society.

Then in 1700 he was appointed the first astronomer of the

Greenwich, Paris and St. Petersburg
. To finance the academy, the Prince-Elector conferred the "Kalenderpatent" on it (a monopoly on publishing almanacs). Kirch and his wife were therefore obliged to finance the academy by their almanac calculations.

After his death, his wife continued the almanac calculations. His son

Gregorian Calendar in the catholic, the Verbesserter Reichskalender (improved Reich calendar) in the Protestant regions, however the latter differed from the former solely in respect of calculation of the date of Easter
.

The crater

6841 Gottfriedkirch
are named after him.

Kirch studied the double star

Mizar
.

He died in Berlin at the age of seventy.

Selected publications

  • Wunderstern am Hals des Walfisches. Leipzig 1678
  • Eilfertiger kurtzer Bericht an einen guten Freund von dem Neuen Cometen dieses 1682. Jahrs. 1682[5]

Kirch also published his calendar, Philosophical Transactions, an Acta Eruditorum and Miscellanea Berolinensia.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kenneth Glyn Jones, The Search for the Nebulae, Alpha Academic, 1975, p. 19.
  2. ISBN 978-1-4419-9918-4
    .
  3. ^ Le costellazioni scomparse dal cielo – Godfried Kirch Atlascoelestis.com, accessed 14 November 2020
  4. ^ Gary W. Kronk C&MS: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle cometography.com, accessed 14 November 2020
  5. ^ Eilfertiger kurtzer Bericht an einen guten Freund von dem Neuen Cometen dieses 1682. Jahrs libcoll.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de, (requires username/ login)

Sources

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