Urban Jean Joseph Le Verrier discovered the planet Neptune with a mere stroke of his pen and many scribbles mostly based on the laws of gravity theorized by Isaac Newton. Urban Le Verrier, a French mathematician found himself shifting his interest from chemistry to the study of astronomy, particularly the science of celestial mechanics. He […]
Edward Emerson Barnard was among the most talented American astronomer in history. He was otherwise called E. E. Barnard, and was highly respected because of his contributions to the study of the cosmos. Barnard was born from a poor family, and unlike popular astronomers of his time, he did not have the opportunity to attend
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If there’s one photographer to be acknowledged as one of the best in the realm of astronomy, one of the strongest contenders would be Henry Draper. Like other brilliant astronomers in history, Draper delved into various scientific disciplines at a very early age. He grew up being trained by his scientist-father in taking pictures of
The greatest contribution of Democritus in astronomy is the atomic theory-the belief that everything in the world consists of particles called atoms. These atoms, Democritus believed, are indestructible, indivisible, and always in motion. They atoms are infinite in numbers, and come in different sizes and shapes. Explaining the nature of atoms was not difficult through
Born in the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century, Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn is one of the most celebrated figures in the field of astronomy. He is primarily credited for devoting his career to the study of the Milky Way galaxy and paving the way to the discovery of the rotation of galaxies. As
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Edward Charles Pickering made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. His legacy is quite valuable that heavenly bodies have been named after him, among them a minor planet called Pickeringia. Pickering was born in Boston and educated at Harvard University’s Lawrence Scientific School. His scientific endeavor included physics, and this made him a brilliant
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Plato, was a famous ancient philosopher who lived in Athens, Greece from 427 BC to 347 BC. He lends his name to the word “platonic,” however, Plato was probably not his real name, but was merely a nickname. “Plato” meant “broad,” possibly an allusion to his wide shoulders or forehead, or to the wide scope
Socrates is practically a household name. This ancient Greek thinker is well known not only in philosophical circles, but by every person who has gone to school. A kind of question-and-answer discourse has been named after him: the Socratic Method. This approach is used in philosophical discussions and in more general forms of idea exchange.
Pythagoras lived between 569-475 BC. He holds the distinction of being the first “pure mathematician.” It is unfortunate that no writings of Pythagoras have survived (although it is uncertain if he did ever write any), but he made very significant contributions in the development of mathematics. Pythagoras was a mathematician, but he was also equally
Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer and geographer, lived in around 85 to 165 A.D. He was born in Egypt, and he died there too. Egypt was the center of learning in those times, and it was there that Ptolemy got his education. His name Ptolemy is, in fact, an Egyptian name, while Claudius is a Roman
