John Martin Schaeberle(January 10, 1853 – September 17, 1924) was aKingdom of Württemberg-born Americanastronomer.
Biography
editHe was born Johann Martin Schäberle inKingdom of Württemberg,but in 1854[1]immigrated as an infant to theUnited States.Most sources refer to him as John M. Schaeberle, but his family and friends called him Martin.
He attendedpublic schools,and then became anapprenticein amachine shop.During his apprenticeship, he became interested in astronomy, and decided to finish high school.[1]He then became a student ofJames Craig Watsonat theUniversity of Michigan.He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1876 as a civil engineer, but devoted himself to astronomy. He taught astronomy at the University of Michigan from 1876 to 1888.[2]He maintained his own private observatory and discovered three comets. In 1888 he became one of the inaugural astronomers atLick Observatory.
He had charge of the expedition to witness thesolar eclipseatCayennein 1889, and of those for the same purpose toChilein 1893, and toJapanin 1896.[2]He designed the "Schaeberle camera" to take pictures of the Sun and itscoronaduring total solar eclipses. He also discovered Procyon B, the faint companion star ofProcyon,in 1896.
He resigned from Lick Observatory whenJames E. Keelerwas made its director instead of him in 1898, despite the fact that he had been acting director since the previous year. He devoted some time to travel, and then continued astronomical studies inAnn Arbor.[1]He never held another astronomical post. He was also an athlete and musician.[1]He was a frequent contributor to astronomical journals.[2]
Schaeberle died in Ann Arbor. There arecratersnamed after him on both theMoonand onMars.
Comets discovered
editNotes
edit- ^abcdDonald H. Menzel (1935). "Schaeberle, John Martin".Dictionary of American Biography.New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
- ^abcRines, George Edwin, ed. (1920)..Encyclopedia Americana.
- ^abKronk, Gary W. (2003)."Comet Designation Index, years 1855–1892".Cometography: A Catalogue of Comets.Vol. 2: 1800–1899. p. 836.ISBN0521585058.
External links
edit- Portraits of John Martin Schaeberle from the Lick Observatory Records Digital Archive, UC Santa Cruz Library's Digital CollectionsArchived2016-03-05 at theWayback Machine
- https://web.archive.org/web/20051216081237/http://www.detroitobservatory.umich.edu/JAHH2003/DetroitObservatoryArticle.pdf
- Scientific American,"Schaeberle's Comet",27-Aug-1881, pp. 129
Obituaries
edit- "John Martin Schaeberle, 1853-1924",by W. J. Hussey,Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific(December 1924) p.309
- Obituary inThe Observatory(November 1924), p. 348(one paragraph)
John Martin Schaeberlein libraries (WorldCatcatalog)