Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre
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| Born | 19 September 1749 |
| Died | 19 August 1822 (aged 72) Paris
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Doctoral advisor | Jérôme Lalande |
| Doctoral students | Gerard Moll |
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (born September 19, 1749 – died August 19, 1822) was a famous French astronomer, mathematician, and historian. He was also in charge of the Paris Observatory. Delambre wrote many important books about the history of astronomy, covering everything from ancient times to the 1700s.
Delambre's Life and Work
When Jean-Baptiste Joseph Delambre was a child, he had a fever that made his eyes very sensitive. He worried he might go blind. Because of this fear, he read every book he could find. He also trained his memory very well. He learned to remember whole pages of books weeks after reading them. He became fluent in Italian, English, and German. He even wrote a guide to learning English.
Delambre quickly became successful in astronomy. In 1788, he was chosen as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1790, the French government wanted to create a new, worldwide system for measurements. The French Academy of Sciences decided on the metre as the new unit of length. They defined the metre as one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator.
To do this, they needed to measure a long section of the Earth's meridian. This is an imaginary line that goes from the North Pole to the South Pole. They planned to measure the distance between Dunkirk in France and Barcelona in Spain. This part of the meridian also passed through Paris.
In 1792, Delambre was chosen to lead the northern part of this expedition. He measured from Dunkirk to Rodez in southern France. Another scientist, Pierre Méchain, measured the southern part, from Barcelona to Rodez. They finished their measurements in 1798. The information they collected helped create the metric system we use today.
In 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte became the head of the French Academy of Sciences. He made Delambre the Permanent Secretary for Mathematical Sciences. Delambre held this important job until he died. In 1804, after Méchain passed away, Delambre became the director of the Paris Observatory. He also taught astronomy at the Collège de France.
Delambre was one of the first astronomers to use advanced math to figure out how planets move. He also wrote many books about the history of astronomy. These books covered astronomy from ancient times up to the 18th century.
Delambre was honored for his work. He was a knight in the Order of Saint Michael and the Légion d'honneur. His name is also one of the 72 names written on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In 1822, he became an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Jean-Baptiste Joseph Delambre died in 1822. He was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. There is a crater on the Moon named after him.
Delambre's Writings
Delambre wrote many important books and papers during his life. Here are some of his well-known works:
- Analytical Methods for Determining an Arc of the Meridian (1799) – This book explained the math used to measure the Earth for the metric system.
- Historical Notice on Mr. Méchain (1806) – This was a speech Delambre gave to honor his fellow scientist, Pierre Méchain, after he died.
- Base of the Decimal Metric System (1806-1810) – This three-volume work included all the data and calculations from the meridian survey.
- Historical Report on the Progress of Mathematical Sciences since 1799 (1810) – A report on how math and science had advanced.
- Eclipse Tables of Jupiter's Satellites (1817) – This book contained detailed tables about the moons of Jupiter.
- A series of books on the history of astronomy:
- History of Ancient Astronomy (1817) – Two volumes covering astronomy from long ago.
- History of Medieval Astronomy (1819) – This book looked at astronomy during the Middle Ages.
- History of Modern Astronomy (1821) – Two volumes that covered astronomy up to the 17th century.
- History of Astronomy in the Eighteenth Century (published after his death in 1827) – This book included his thoughts on other astronomers of his time.
- Size and Shape of the Earth (1912) – A book about the shape of our planet.
Images for kids
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An 1817 copy of "Tables écliptiques des satellites de Jupiter"
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The introduction to Delambre's 1817 book about Jupiter's moons.
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Another part of the introduction to his 1817 book.
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More of the introduction from the 1817 book.
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An excerpt from an 1817 copy of "Tables écliptiques des satellites de Jupiter"
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Baptiste Joseph Delambre para niños
- Delambre analogies
- History of the metre
- Meridian arc of Delambre and Méchain
- Seconds pendulum
