Ramón María Aller Ulloa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ramón María Aller Ulloa
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Statue built in Lalín by the sculptor Francisco Asorey
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| Born | 3 February 1878 Donramiro, Spain
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| Died | 28 March 1966 Lalín, Spain
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| Education | University of Madrid PhD, University of Oviedo BS |
Ramón María Aller Ulloa (1878–1966) was a smart person from Galicia, Spain. He was an astronomer (someone who studies stars), a mathematician (someone who studies numbers), and a Catholic priest. He taught geometry and mathematical analysis at the University of Santiago de Compostela. In 1944, the university even made a special teaching position just for him in astronomy! He was also part of the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences.
Ramón Aller Ulloa was an expert in Double stars, which are two stars that orbit each other. He found 4 new double stars, and they are named after him: Aller1, Aller2, Aller3, and Aller4. He also invented cool tools for measuring and observing things in space.
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Ramón Aller's Early Life and Studies
Ramón Aller Ulloa started his schooling at a special school run by the Society of Jesus in A Guarda, Pontevedra. He then went to a seminary in Lugo to study theology. When he was only 20, he earned his bachelor's and doctorate degrees in Sacred Theology. He became a priest two years later.
In 1899, he began studying science at the University of Oviedo. He finished his studies with top honors at the University of Madrid in 1904.
First Steps in Astronomy
Ramón's journey into astronomy began with a gift from his grandmother: a 67mm monocular (like a small telescope). Later, he received a theodolite, which is a tool for measuring angles. These simple tools helped him make his first observations.
He started writing down what he saw and sending his notes to science magazines. In 1912, a publication called "Anuario del Observatorio de Madrid" printed his first paper. It was about a comet he observed in 1910.
Building His Own Observatory
In 1917, Ramón built his very own observatory in his garden at home. After his uncle passed away, Ramón used his inheritance to buy a much better telescope. It was a Steinheil refracting telescope with a 120mm opening and a long focal length of 1800mm.
Because his new equipment was so big, he needed a special dome to protect it. As soon as his new telescope arrived, he made a detailed plan for what he wanted to study. He was very interested in double stars and also planned to look at planet surfaces. He also set aside time for "occasional observations" like eclipses, comets, or meteoroids.
From this point on, he published many more scientific papers. His work appeared in important European magazines like the German "Astronomische Nachrichten" and the French "L'Astronomie." His observations were so good that other observatories in Europe thought he had a whole team of researchers in Lalín. They didn't realize all the amazing data came from his homemade observatory and just one scientist!
Languages and Recognition
Ramón Aller Ulloa was known by his European colleagues for being a polyglot, meaning he could speak many languages. He spoke 10 different languages!
He received many honors for his work. In 1928, he became a member of the Seminario de Estudos Galegos. In 1939, he joined the important Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences. From 1940, he started teaching analytic geometry and mathematical analysis at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). In 1942, he became a member of the Royal Galician Academy. In 1943, he earned his second PhD, this time in astronomy, from the University of Madrid.
He passed away in Lalín when he was 88 years old.
Ramón Aller's Scientific Discoveries
Ramón Aller Ulloa made some important discoveries in astronomy.
Double Stars Discovered
He found 4 new double stars. These are stars that appear very close together and often orbit each other. They are named after him:
- Aller 1 (2000.0): 21 55.9 + 19 47, Mag: 9,3 – 9,5;
- Aller 2 (2000.0): 00 34.5 – 04 33 AB-D, Mag: 6,8 – 8,8;
- Aller 3 (2000.0): 18 59,3 + 03 31 AB, Mag: 8,9 – 9,1;
- Aller 4 (2000.0): 17 57.8 + 27 50, Mag: 8,9 – 9,9.
He was also the first person in Spain to calculate the orbit of a double star system, called STT 77. Because of his expertise, he was asked to join the "International Astronomical Union Commission 26 (double stars)" in 1948. The next year, he became a member of the National Commission on Astronomy.
Inventions and Improvements
Professor Aller Ulloa also designed and built special devices for measuring and observing. Some of these were even bought by the Paris Observatory! He also suggested changes to how the German company Zeiss made their astrograph (a special camera for astronomy). Zeiss liked his ideas and accepted them. They were so thankful for his improvements that they didn't even charge him for the device!
He also created a clock that kept "sidereal time" (time based on the stars) and a special base for a portable telescope.
Published Works and Research
Ramón Aller Ulloa focused on two main areas of research: double stars and new ways to find coordinates in space. He published 78 articles in special science magazines across Europe. He also wrote 4 books and guided 5 students through their PhD studies. Even when he was 83 years old, he was still helping students with their research!
He also studied and wrote about other topics like meteors, planet surfaces, tools, and auroras (he described one he saw in Lalín in 1938). He also wrote about eclipses, transits (when one celestial body passes in front of another), how he built his observatories, and biographies of other scientists like the mathematician José Rodríguez González.
Moon Crater Named After Aller
Two English astronomers, Hugh Percy Wilkins and Patrick Moore, who studied the Moon, once named a lunar crater "Aller" in his honor. In their 1955 book, The Moon, they placed it at 5.8°S, 57.7°E.
However, the crater's name was later changed. Today, it is named after the English mathematician George Atwood. This new name was suggested in 1974 and officially accepted by the IAU (International Astronomical Union) in 1976. So, the crater is now known as Atwood.
This crater is located inside a large, dark plain on the Moon called the Mare Fecunditatis. It is at 5.8°S 57.7°E, is about 28.64 kilometers (17.8 miles) wide, and 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) deep.
See also
In Spanish: Ramón María Aller Ulloa para niños
