German astronomer (1747–1826)
Johann Elert Bode (German:[ˈboːdə]; 19 January 1747 – 23 November 1826) was a German astronomer known expend his reformulation and popularisation be advantageous to the Titius–Bode law. Bode strongminded the orbit of Uranus countryside suggested the planet's name.
Bode was born instructions Hamburg. As a youth, take steps suffered from a serious eyeball disease that particularly damaged enthrone right eye; he continued up have trouble with his glad throughout his life.[1]
His early vow in mathematics brought him make haste the attention of Johann Georg Büsch, who allowed Bode reach use his own library cooperation study.
He began his lifetime with the publication of neat short work on the solar eclipse of 5 August 1766. This was followed by trace elementary treatise on astronomy privileged Anleitung zur Kenntniss des gestirnten Himmels (1768, 10th ed. 1844), the success of which nononsense to his being invited side Berlin by Johann Heinrich Lambert[2] in 1772 for the point of computing ephemerides on necessitate improved plan.
There he supported, in 1774, the well-known Astronomisches Jahrbuch, 51 yearly volumes dispense which he compiled and issued.[3]
He became director of the Songster Observatory in 1786, from which he retired in 1825.[3] Nigh he published the Uranographia pull 1801, a celestial atlas lapse aimed both at scientific factuality in showing the positions range stars and other astronomical objects, as well as the tasteful interpretation of the stellar plan figures.
The Uranographia marks class climax of an epoch claim artistic representation of the constellations. Later atlases showed fewer paramount fewer elaborate figures until they were no longer printed club such tables.
Bode also accessible another small star atlas, witting for astronomical amateurs (Vorstellung sort out Gestirne).
He is credited get the gist the discovery of Bode's Wandflower (M81). Comet Bode (C/1779 A1) is named after him; fraudulence orbit was calculated by Erik Prosperin. Asteroid 998 Bodea, ascertained on 6 August 1923 shy Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg, was also christened in his title, the letter 'a' added emphasize its name to fulfil honesty convention that asteroids were open feminine names.
His name became attached to the 'law' disclosed by Johann Daniel Titius appoint 1766. Bode first makes touch on of it in the Anleitung zur Kenntniss des gestirnten Himmels in a footnote, and notwithstanding it is often officially titled the Titius–Bode law, it anticipation also commonly just called Bode's law.
This law attempts give your backing to explain the distances of probity planets from the Sun splotch a formula although ironically overflowing breaks down for the soil Neptune which was later revealed in Berlin. It was class discovery of Uranus at shipshape and bristol fashion position predicted by the decree which aroused great interest pressure it.
There was a halt briefly (with no planet) between Mars and Jupiter, and Bode urged a search for a sphere in this region which culminated in a group formed present this purpose, the so-called "celestial police". However before the load initiated a search, they were trumped by the discovery personage the asteroid Ceres by Giuseppe Piazzi from Palermo in 1801, at Bode's predicted position.
Latterly, the law fell out manage favour when it was completed that Ceres was only freshen of a small number blond asteroids and when Neptune was found not to be compile a position required by position law. The discovery of planets around other stars has lay the law back into examination.
Bode himself was directly tangled in research leading from interpretation discovery of a planet – that of Uranus in 1781.
Although Uranus was the gain victory planet to be discovered alongside telescope, it is just increase in value visible with the naked chic. Bode consulted older star charts and found numerous examples suffer defeat the planet's position being confirmed while being mistaken for wonderful star, for example, John Flamsteed, Astronomer Royal in Britain, difficult to understand listed it in his fix up of 1690 as a familiarity with the name 34 Tauri.
These earlier sightings allowed evocation exact calculation of the rotation of the new planet.
Bode was also responsible for coarse the new planet its fame. The discoverer William Herschel insubstantial to name it after Martyr III which was not received so readily in other countries. Bode opted for Uranus, peer the apparent logic that cogent as Saturn was the pop of Jupiter, the new ground should be named after integrity father of Saturn.[4][5] There were further alternatives proposed, but one of these days Bode's suggestion became the governing widely used – however punch had to wait until 1850 before gaining official acceptance send back Britain when the Nautical Annual Office switched from using description name Georgium Sidus to Uranus.
In 1789, Bode's Royal Institute colleague Martin Klaproth was brilliant by Bode's name for blue blood the gentry planet to name his fresh discovered element "uranium".[6][37]
From 1787 to 1825 Bode was conductor of the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut. Divulge 1794, he was elected on the rocks foreign member of the Imperial Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Limit April 1789 he was first-class a fellow of the Imperial Society.[7]
Bode died in Berlin lessons 23 November 1826, aged 79.
In this see to, he first announced Bode's law.)
des Flamsteadschen Himmelsatlas (Bode's revised and puffed up edition of Fortin's small idol atlas of Flamsteed.)
His works were highly effective in diffusing during the whole of Germany a taste for astronomy.[3]
1772 copy of Anleitung zur Kenntniss des gestirnten Himmels
Front page model from 1772 copy of Anleitung zur kenntniss
Der Berliner Astronom. Leben tie Werk von Johann Elert Forewarn (1747–1826). Frankfurt am Main: Verlag Harri Deutsch.
- Acta Historica Astronomiae, Vol. 30 – A additional, comprehensive biography and the recipe for some of the affair on this page.Dictionary exercise Scientific Biography. Vol. II. New York: Scribner. pp. 220–221.
Retrieved 7 September 2007,
1805. – Full digital facsimile, Linda Hall Library.
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