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Marie-Jeanne-Amélie Le Francais de Lalande, born Marie-Jeanne Harlay (1768 – 8 November 1832), was a French
Marie-Jeanne-Amélie Le Francais de Lalande, born Marie-Jeanne Harlay (1768 – 8 November 1832), was a French 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, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
and mathematician.
Biography
Lalande married her father's young cousin, also an astronomer,Michel Lefrançois de Lalande
Michel Lefrançois de Lalande (21 April 1766 – 8 April 1839) was a French astronomer.
Biography
He was the son of Jean Lefrançois, first cousin of Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande, astronomer. He took the name of his cousin Brother Je ...
(1776-1839) in 1788. She was also the niece of the astronomer and writer Jérôme Lalande
Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande (; 11 July 1732 – 4 April 1807) was a French astronomer, freemason and writer.
Biography
Lalande was born at Bourg-en-Bresse (now in the département of Ain) to Pierre Lefrançois and Marie‐Anne‐Gab ...
, who was said to have valued Lalande for her mathematical disposition.
Her father taught the young couple calculation and observation methods in astronomy.
She worked closely alongside her father and contributed to many of his publications.
Her reputation as a scientific woman was attested by an anecdote related to Carl Friedrich Gauss
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; german: Gauß ; la, Carolus Fridericus Gauss; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields in mathematics and science. Sometimes refer ...
: In 1806, during a military campaign in Prussia, he declared he knew but one French woman that worked in Science, Madame Le François de Lalande"
She died in 1832 at the age of 64. Her daughter, Caroline was named after Caroline Herschel
Caroline Lucretia Herschel (; 16 March 1750 – 9 January 1848) was a German born British astronomer, whose most significant contributions to astronomy were the discoveries of several comets, including the periodic comet 35P/Herschel–Rigolle ...
, her birth date, 20 January 1790 being the first day a Comet discovered by Herschel was visible from Paris. Her son was named after Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
.
Work
She calculated the ''Tables horaires de marine'', which was published in her father's ''Abrégé de navigation historique théorique et pratique avec tables horaires'' (1793). These calculations earned her father one of the medals of the Lycée des Arts for distinguished scholars and artists. Her work was also published in her father's annual almanac from 1794 to 1806. In 1799, she established a catalog of 10,000 stars. In 1791, her expertise in astronomy earned her the privilege of guiding the son of famous astronomer Jean Dominique Cassini, through his first observation at the College de France. She also collaborated on the writing of ''L'Histoire céleste française'' written by Lalande and published in 1801. The work indicated the position of 50,000 stars.Legacy
The multi-ring impact crater,de Lalande (crater)
De Lalande is a multiring impact crater on Venus. It has a diameter of and wall width of . The crater has an outer rim but no peak and is in close proximity to the volcano Gula Mons.
Namesake
The de Lalande crater is named after the French ast ...
, on Venus was named after her.
References
Further reading
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lalande, Marie-Jeanne De 1760 births 18th-century French astronomers 1832 deaths Women astronomers Place of birth missing 18th-century French women scientists 19th-century French women scientists 19th-century French astronomers