Hipparchus (disambiguation) facts for kids

Hipparchus is a name that has been used for several important people and things throughout history. The most famous Hipparchus was an ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician. This name has also been given to craters on the Moon and Mars, and even an asteroid!

Hipparchus the Astronomer

The most well-known person named Hipparchus was an ancient Greek astronomer, geographer, and mathematician. He lived around 190 to 120 BC. Many people consider him the greatest astronomer of ancient times.

Hipparchus was born in Nicaea, which is now Iznik in modern-day Turkey. He spent most of his working life on the island of Rhodes. He made many important discoveries and inventions that helped us understand the stars and planets better.

What Did Hipparchus Discover?

Hipparchus was the first person to create a detailed star catalog. He listed the positions and brightness of about 850 stars. This was a huge achievement for his time. He also invented the system of using latitude and longitude to map locations on Earth, similar to how we use them today.

He also discovered something called the "precession of the equinoxes." This is a slow wobble in Earth's axis, which changes the apparent positions of stars over thousands of years. It's a very subtle movement, so noticing it was a sign of his amazing observation skills.

Hipparchic Cycle

Hipparchus developed a special astronomical cycle known as the Hipparchic cycle. This cycle helped predict when solar and lunar eclipses would happen. It was based on observations of the Moon's movement and was very accurate for its time.

Things Named After Hipparchus

Because of his huge contributions to astronomy, many things in space have been named in his honor:

• Hipparchus (lunar crater): A large crater on the Moon.
• Hipparchus (Martian crater): A crater on the planet Mars.
• 4000 Hipparchus: A small asteroid orbiting the Sun.
• Hipparcos: A European Space Agency mission launched in 1989. This satellite precisely measured the positions, distances, and movements of over 100,000 stars.

Other People Named Hipparchus

The name Hipparchus was also used by other important figures in history:

• Hipparchus (brother of Hippias): He was the brother of Hippias, who was a ruler (tyrant) of ancient Athens. Sadly, Hipparchus was killed in 514 BC.
• Hipparchus of Euboea: Another ancient Greek ruler from the island of Euboea.
• Hipparchus (poet): An ancient Greek actor and poet from the city of Corinth.
• Tiberius Claudius Hipparchus Marathonios: A very wealthy man who lived in the Roman Empire during the 1st century BC. He was known as the richest person of his time.

Other Meanings

• Hipparchus (cavalry officer): In ancient Greece, a "hipparchus" was a commander of a group of cavalry (soldiers on horseback) called a hipparchia.
• Hipparchus (dialogue): This is the name of a philosophical discussion or book that some people believe was written by the famous Greek philosopher Plato.

See also

In Spanish: Hiparco para niños