Ernest Esclangon facts for kids
Ernest Benjamin Esclangon (born March 17, 1876, died January 28, 1954) was a smart French scientist. He was an astronomer, who studies stars, and a mathematician, who works with numbers.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Ernest was born in Mison, France. In 1895, he began studying math at a famous school called École Normale Supérieure. He finished his studies there in 1898.
While working on his advanced math degree, he needed a job. So, he started teaching math at the University of Bordeaux. He also worked at the Bordeaux Observatory.
Helping in World War I
During World War I, Ernest used his math skills to help his country. He worked on ballistics, which is the science of how bullets and bombs move. He found a clever way to figure out where enemy cannons were located.
When a gun fires, it makes two kinds of sound waves. One is a round shock wave, and the other is a cone-shaped wave from the flying bullet. By listening to these two waves from far away, Ernest could accurately guess where the enemy guns were hiding.
Leading Observatories
After the war ended in 1919, Ernest became the director of the Strasbourg Observatory. He also became an astronomy professor at the University of Strasbourg.
In 1929, he moved to Paris to become the director of the famous Paris Observatory. He also led the International Time Bureau. This group helps keep track of the world's exact time. In 1932, he joined the Bureau des Longitudes, another important science group.
The First Speaking Clock
Ernest Esclangon is perhaps best known for starting the first speaking clock service. This began in 1933. Before this, people would call the observatory to ask for the exact time. This took up a lot of the staff's time. The speaking clock helped solve this problem by giving the time automatically over the phone.
In 1939, Ernest was chosen to join the Académie des Sciences. This is a very important group of top French scientists.
Awards and Retirement
Ernest was the president of the Société astronomique de France (SAF). This is the main French astronomy society. He led the society from 1933 to 1935. In 1935, he received the Prix Jules Janssen. This is the highest award given by the SAF.
He continued to lead the Paris Observatory throughout World War II. He retired in 1944. Ernest Esclangon passed away in Eyrenville, France.
His Legacy
Two space objects are named after Ernest Esclangon to honor his work.
- The binary asteroid 1509 Esclangona is named after him. A binary asteroid is made of two asteroids orbiting each other.
- A crater on the Moon, called Esclangon, also carries his name.
See also
In Spanish: Ernest Esclangon para niños
