Fergie's Tech Blog

25 March 1538: Happy Birthday, Christopher Clavius

Via Wikipedia.

Christopher Clavius, (March 25, 1538 – February 12, 1612) was a German Jesuit mathematician and astronomer who was the main architect of the modern Gregorian calendar. In his last years he was probably the most respected astronomer in Europe and his textbooks were used for astronomical education for over fifty years in Europe and even in more remote lands (on account of being used by missionaries).

As an astronomer Clavius held strictly to the geocentric model of the solar system, in which all the heavens rotate about the Earth. Though he opposed the heliocentric model of Copernicus, he recognized problems with the orthodox model. He was treated with great respect by Galileo, who visited him in 1611 and discussed the new observations being made with the telescope; Clavius had by that time accepted the new discoveries as genuine, though he retained doubts about the reality of the mountains on the Moon. In light of this fact, it is very ironic that a large crater on the moon is named for him.

More here.

Honorable mention: Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christian Huygens on 25 March 1655.

posted by Fergie @ 3/24/2006 10:01:00 PM