Christfried Kirch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christfried Kirch
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| Born | 24 December 1694 Guben
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| Died | 9 March 1740 (aged 45) |
| Nationality | German |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | astronomy |
Christfried Kirch (born December 24, 1694, in Guben – died March 9, 1740, in Berlin) was a German astronomer. He was also known for publishing almanacs, which are like yearly calendars with astronomical information.
Christfried came from a family of astronomers. His parents, Gottfried Kirch and Maria Margaretha Kirch, were both famous astronomers.
Contents
A Young Astronomer's Journey
Christfried was born in Guben, Germany. He started learning about the stars very early. When he was just 12 years old, he helped his father observe the Sun. This early start showed his passion for space.
He continued his studies in astronomy in cities like Leipzig and Danzig. He learned a lot about how the universe works.
Leading the Berlin Observatory
In 1716, Christfried took over a very important job. He became the director of the Berlin Observatory. This was the same job his father had held. He stayed in this role until he passed away in 1740.
He even turned down offers from the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg. He chose to stay and work in Berlin. In 1717, he also got his father's old position at the Prussian Academy of Sciences.
Christfried continued his father's work, especially in creating almanacs. His mother and younger sister helped him with these important calculations.
A Keeper of Knowledge
In 1726, Christfried was given another big responsibility. He became in charge of the academy's library. Before him, the secretary of the academy, Johann Theodor Jablonski, managed it.
By 1735, Christfried was officially named the Librarian. This meant he looked after many important books and documents.
Christfried's Discoveries and Writings
Christfried Kirch wrote many articles for different science journals. He shared his observations and findings with other scientists.
- He wrote about a comet that appeared in 1718.
- He observed sunspots on the Sun.
- He studied the surfaces of Venus and Jupiter.
- He watched as Jupiter's moons passed in front of each other (called occultation).
- He also observed variable stars, which are stars that change in brightness.
- Christfried even wrote about the Northern Lights and Earth's magnetic field.
In 1730, he published his most important work. It was a book of his astronomical observations. Its Latin title was Observationes astronomicae selectiores in observatorio regio Berolinensi habitae, quibus adjectae sunt annotationes quaedam et animadversiones geographicae et chronologicae, aliaque ad astronomicam scientiam pertinentia.
In 1742, after his death, Christfried was honored. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very prestigious group of scientists.
