Johann Georg Palitzsch (11 June 1723 – 21 February 1788) was a German
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
who became famous for recovering Comet 1P/Halley (better known as
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...
) on Christmas Day, 1758.
[Hoffmann, Christian Gotthold (1759 January 20) "Nachricht von dem Kometen, welcher seit dem 25. December gesehen wird" (News of the comet, which has been seen since the 25th of December), ''Dreßdnischen Gelehrten Anzeigen'', 2nd issue.] The periodic nature of this comet had been deduced by its namesake
Edmond Halley
Edmond (or Edmund) Halley (; – ) was an English astronomer, mathematician and physicist. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720.
From an observatory he constructed on Saint Helena in 1676–77, H ...
in 1705, but Halley had died before seeing if his prediction would come true.
Raised to become a successful farmer under a strict stepfather, Palitzsch secretly studied as much astronomy as he could from the books he could afford. He learned contemporary astronomy from the book “Vorhof der Sternwissenschaft” (“The Forecourt of Astronomy”) by Christian Pescheck. He learned Latin and, at age 21, inherited the farm, which allowed him to construct his own botanical garden, library, laboratory, and museum.
He received support from various benefactors, including the future
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
. But the
wars between Prussia and Austria interrupted his ambitions.
Upon his death on 21 February 1788 Palitzsch left behind a library of 3518 books, partly consisting of handwritten copies he had created from scientific works too expensive for him to purchase.
A
crater and a
''vallis'' (valley) on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
are named after him.
The
asteroid 11970 Palitzsch
Year 1197 ( MCXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Emperor Henry VI travels to Italy to persuade Pope Celestine III to c ...
also is named after him.
References
External links
* http://messier.seds.org/xtra/Bios/palitzsch.html
Homepage of the Palitzsch-Museum
1723 births
1788 deaths
18th-century German astronomers
{{Germany-astronomer-stub