Adriaan Metius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Metius
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Metius
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| Born | 9 December 1571 |
| Died | 6 September 1635 |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Alma mater | University of Franeker |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | geometer astronomer |
Adriaan Adriaanszoon, also known as Metius, was a smart Dutch scientist born in Alkmaar on December 9, 1571. He was a geometer (someone who studies shapes and spaces) and an astronomer (someone who studies stars and planets). His nickname "Metius" comes from the Dutch word meten, which means "to measure." So, his name basically means "the measurer" or "the surveyor." He passed away on September 6, 1635.
Metius's Family
Adriaan Metius grew up in Alkmaar, North Holland. His father, Adriaan Anthonisz, was a very talented man. He was a mathematician, a land-surveyor (someone who measures land), a cartographer (someone who makes maps), and a military engineer. He even served as the mayor (or burgomaster) of Alkmaar starting in 1582.
Adriaan also had a brother named Jacob Metius. Jacob was skilled at making instruments and grinding lenses. He lived in Alkmaar and died sometime between 1624 and 1631. Jacob is famous because, in 1608, he applied for a patent for his own invention: an optical telescope. He described it as a device for "seeing faraway things as though nearby." His telescope used a convex lens and a concave lens inside a tube, making things look three or four times bigger.
Adriaan's Education and Teaching
Adriaan Metius went to a Latin school in Alkmaar. In 1589, he started studying philosophy at the new University of Franeker. He continued his studies in 1594 at Leiden University, where he learned from Rudolph Snellius.
He even worked for a short time with the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe on the island of Hven. Brahe had built two observatories there. After that, Adriaan worked in Rostock and Jena, where he gave lectures in 1595.
Later, he returned to Alkmaar to help his father. He worked as a military engineer, checking fortifications (strong buildings for defense). He also taught mathematics at Franeker in Frisia. His teaching was especially helpful for students who wanted to become surveyors.
At the University of Franeker, he became a special professor in 1598. From 1600 to 1635, he was a full professor of mathematics, navigation, surveying, military engineering, and astronomy. He was even allowed to teach in Dutch, not just Latin. He was also the head of the university (called rector) in 1603 and 1632.
Adriaan, his father, and his brother also had a business that made scientific instruments. They were very good at making optical tools. Their family business likely made the precise Jacob's staffs that Tycho Brahe used to observe stars.
Metius's Discoveries and Works
Metius wrote important books about the astrolabe (an old tool for astronomy) and surveying. Some of his well-known works include Arithmeticæ et geometriæ practica (published in 1611) and Arithmeticæ libri duo: et geometriæ libri VI (published in 1640). He also made astronomical instruments and improved a tool called a Jacob's staff, which was used for measuring angles.
In 1585, Metius's father had found a very good way to estimate pi (π). Pi is a special number that helps us understand circles. It's the ratio of a circle's circumference (the distance around it) to its diameter (the distance across it). His father estimated pi to be about 355/113. Metius later shared his father's discovery, and this value (355/113) is often called Metius' number. It's a very close approximation of pi!
The lunar crater named Metius on the Moon is named after him, honoring his contributions to astronomy.
In the famous painting The Astronomer (1668) by Johannes Vermeer, there's a book on the table. This book has been identified as a 1621 edition of Metius's Institutiones Astronomicae Geographicae. It's open to a page that suggests getting "inspiration from God" for astronomical research, along with using geometry and mechanical instruments.
