Philippe van Lansberge facts for kids
Johan Philip Lansberge (born August 25, 1561 – died December 8, 1632) was a smart person from Flanders. He was a Calvinist minister, an astronomer, and a Mathematician. Sometimes his name is written as Lansberg. You might also see his first name as Philip or Johannes Philippus. He used the Latin name Philippus Lansbergius for his books.
He is most famous for creating special tables. These tables, called Tabulae motuum coelestium perpetuæ, helped predict where planets would be. Later, people found some mistakes in his tables. This was partly because he didn't believe Kepler's idea. Kepler had discovered that planets move in oval shapes, not perfect circles. Lansberge also worked as a Protestant clergyman.
One of his students was Martinus Hortensius. Later, Lansberge and his former student worked together on projects.
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About His Life
Johan Philip Lansberge was born in Ghent in 1561. This city is in what is now Belgium. He grew up in France and studied in England. In 1585, a city called Antwerp fell. After this, he moved to the northern part of the Netherlands.
He lived in Leiden for a short time. Then he moved to Goes to become a preacher. Lansberge stayed there until 1613. That year, he lost his job. This happened because he disagreed with a local election.
At 52 years old, Lansberge decided to move to Middelburg. There, he spent the rest of his life studying the stars and planets.
His Ideas About the Universe
Lansberge believed in the heliocentric theory. This was an idea from Copernicus. It said that the Earth goes around the Sun. This idea was quite new and caused a lot of debate. Many people, both Catholic and Protestant, believed in the geocentric theory. This older idea said that the Earth was the center of the universe.
His Family and Friends
In 1586, Lansberge married Sara Lievaerts. They had a large family with six sons and four daughters. He was very well-known for his knowledge. People respected him for his understanding of church matters. But he was even more famous for his skills in math and physics.
In 1611, his son Pieter became a preacher in Goes. Another son, Jacob, also moved to Goes. He became a medical doctor. Lansberge's oldest son, also named Philippus, was a preacher in Kloetinge. He passed away there in 1647.
Lansberge had many friends who shared his interests. One of them was the Dutch poet Jacob Cats. Cats wrote three poems about the "very wise, famous, and honored Philippus Lansbergen." Lansbergen likely lived on "Spanjaardstraat" in Middelburg.
His Important Books
Lansberge wrote several important books. One of his most popular books was "Considerations about the daily and yearly movements of the Earth." This book became a best-seller. You could say that Lansberge was the first Dutch writer to create a popular book about how planets move around the Sun.
Other famous scientists were very interested in Lansberge's work. Kepler and Galileo lived at the same time. They used Lansberge's tables to predict planet movements more accurately.
His Legacy
Johan Philip Lansberge passed away in Middelburg in December 1632.
Today, a public observatory in Middelburg is named after him. It is called the Philippus Lansbergen Public Observatory. Also, a crater on the Moon is named after him. It is called the Lansberg crater.
Works
Lansberge wrote many books on mathematics and astronomy. His most famous work was the Tabulae motuum coelestium perpetuæ.
See also
In Spanish: Philippe van Lansberge para niños
