Thomas Bugge (astronomer)

Thomas Bugge (12 October 1740 – 15 January 1815) was a Danish astronomer, mathematician and surveyor. He succeeded Christian Horrebow as professor of astronomy at the University of Copenhagen in 1777. His triangulation surveys of Denmark carried out under the auspices of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences were instrumental in creating the first precise maps of Denmark. He served as president of the Royal Danish Society for Agriculture (1773–1783), director of Den Almindelige Enkekasse (1782–), secretary of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences (1801–1815) and three one-year terms as rector of the University of Copenhagen.

Early life and education

Bugge was born on 12 October 1740 in Copenhagen, the son of royal ''kkælderskriver'' and later ''proviantforvalter'' Peder Bugge (1700–73) and Oliva Saur (c. 1720 – 1685). He was taught privately by Hans Christian Saxtorph before studying theology at the University of Copenhagen, graduating in 1759.

Career

Bugge had at the same time under Christen Hees' (1712–82) instructions studied mathematics, a subject he had shown a remarkable talent for. He worked as an assistant to Peder Kofoed (1728–60) in connection with Kofoed's survey of Roskilde County under the auspices of the Royal Danish Academy of Science. He continued his studies of mathematics and physics and began working as an assistant for Christian Horrebow (1718–76) at the Rundetårn Observatory. In 1761, he was sent to Trondheim to observe the Transit of Venus. The results were published in the French scientific journal ''Mémoires'' (1871). Following Kofoed's death, Bugge was hired as geographical surveyor by the Royal Danish Academy of Science. He surveyed approximately 20 km² of Zealand annually and was at the same time teaching surveying to others. In 1765, he was appointed as trigonometrical observer and head of the Office of Surveying, where in that capacity, he carried out a triangulation of most of Zealand and Øresund and determined the polar height of a number of trig points.

As a practicing surveyor, he was responsible for the surveying of a number of estates and villages on Zealand. In 1768, Bugge was appointed as Chief Surveyor. He was himself responsible for the education of surveyors and created guidelines for their work. Bugge became a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Science in 1775, further increasing his influence on its work with surveying of the country, and from 1780 until his death headed it alone. Bugge's work marked a breakthrough for the economic and geographic surveying of Denmark.

Bugge was also charged with a wide range of other assignments. In 1774, he and professor C. C. Lous created tables for the General Widows' Fund ('Den Almindelige Enkekasse') based on Leonhard Euler's formulas. In 1765–72, he served as Prince Frederick's tutor in mathematics. In 1777, he succeeded Christian Horrebow as professor of astronomy. He soon thereafter went on a study trip to Germany, the Netherlands, France and England. An extract of his travelogue was published in a university programme from 1779. The Rundetårn Observatory was on his return to Denmark refurbished and equipped with new and improved instruments. The King contributed to the project with 7,000 rigsdaler. A description of the observatory and observations from the three first years can be found in Bugge's privately published ''Observationes astron. annis 1781–83'' (1784). On Bugge's initiative, a series of small observatories were also established in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Tranquebar with Abraham Piehl, Erasmus Lievog, Andreas Ginge and Engelhart as the first observers.

Bugge's scientific results were to a significant extent diminished by the many other tasks he was given. In 1782 he was appointed as director of Den Almindelige Enkekasse. He was also used as a teacher of mathematics at the Naval Cadet Academy and lectured both on mathematics and water infrastructure. In 1798, he was sent by the government to Paris, to represent Denmark at the congress on the metric system. The negotiations lasted so long that he had to return to Denmark before they had been concluded. From 1801 until his death, he also served as secretary of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences. He was a member of number of commissions, including those related to the cobbling of streets in Copenhagen and a regulation of Copenhagen Fire Brigade and the Copenhagen Port Authority. In 1773–83, he was president of the Royal Danish Society for Agriculture ('Det Kongelige Danske Landhusholdningsselskab').

Bigge's personal library contained 15,000 volumes. Most of them and many of his instruments were lost during the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. He managed to save the original drawings and copper plates as well as the associated journals and calculations for the special maps of Denmark.

He published a number of textbooks on mathematics and astronomy as well as numerous articles in the journals of the Danish and Swedosh scientific academies and '' Philosophical Transactions'' as well as a number of observations in ''Astron. Jahrbuch'' (Bode) and ''Monatl. Correspondenz'' (v. Zach).

He was three times elected as rector of the University of Copenhagen (1789–90, 1801–02, 1810–11). He was a foreign member of the scientific academies in Petersborg, Pisa, London, Stockholm, Mannheim, Haarlem and Trondheim. He was also a member of the Scandinavian Literary Society in Copenhagen.

Personal life

Bugge was on 7 January 1771 in Svallerup married to Ambrosia (Amborg) Wedseltoft (1742-1795=, daughter of pastor Simonsen Wedseltoft (1706–82) and Inger Magdalene From (c. 1715–78). They had eight children.

Bugge was appointed as ''Justitsråd'' in 1784 and ''Etatsråd'' in 1810. He was created a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog in 1809. He died on 15 January 1815 and was buried in Assistens Cemetery.

Written works

* ' (1779)
* ' (1795=
* ' (1814=

References

External links

Thomas Bugge
at geni.com

Thomas Bygge

Thomas Bugges Dagbog

Source

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bugge, Thomas
1740 births
1815 deaths
18th-century Danish mathematicians
18th-century Danish astronomers
19th-century Danish mathematicians
Burials at Assistens Cemetery (Copenhagen)
19th-century Danish astronomers
Danish cartographers
Danish surveyors
Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog
Members of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
Scientists from Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen alumni
Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen