Paul ten Bruggencate
Encyclopedia
Paul ten Bruggencate was a German astronomer
and astrophysicist.
, Switzerland
and went to several schools in Switzerland, in the Netherlands
and in Germany. He further studied at the University of Munich and started his PhD work with Hugo von Seeliger
. However, due to health problems, Seeliger had to handover the supervision of his PhD students to Hans Kienle.
Ten Bruggencate graduated from the University of Munich and in 1924, together with Hans Kienle, moved to the Göttingen University Observatory. Ten Bruggencate stayed as an assistant at the Göttingen University until 1926, when he traveled to Java. He worked there with the Dutch
astronomer Joan Voûte
at the Bosscha Observatory
near Lembang
and started a survey of Cepheid variable
stars. After two years at the Bosscha Observatory, he visited the Mt. Wilson Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory
In the United States. In 1929 he moved to the University of Greifswald in northern Germany, where he finished his habilitation
on Cepheid variable
stars in 1935. Most of this work was based on the observations carried out in Lembang.
in the Einstein Tower
. From that time on, the main focus of ten Bruggencate's research became the Sun
. In 1941, during World War II, ten Bruggencate became the director at the Göttingen University Observatory. In pursuing his interest in observing the Sun, he looked for a new solar telescope
. The already existing observatory at the Hainberg, south east of Göttingen, provided the best location within the surrounding area. The interest of the military in the effect of the Sun
on short wave radio communication made it possible to build this observatory during the war. Military patronage and ten Bruggencate's profound knowledge of the solar telescope in Potsdam assisted construction of the new telescope.
A personal antipathy between ten Bruggencate and Karl-Otto Kiepenheuer
, who also worked for some time at the Göttingen University Observatory, led to a division of the German solar observations. While Kiepenheuer founded the Frauenhofer Institute
and coordinated several solar observatories across Europe, ten Bruggencate built his own observatory. Both groups were serviced and supported by the military to help forecast short-wave communication conditions.
After the war, the observations were continued. Ten Bruggencate established a second solar observatory in Switzerland where the weather conditions were more favorable compared to the often cloudy skies over Germany. The Locarno Observatory was planned and built in the late 1950s. Ten Bruggencate was the president of the Academy of Sciences Göttingen from 1958 until 1961. He also remained as director of the Göttingen University Observatory until his death in 1961. The Locarno Observatory became fully operational shortly after his death.
The Locarno Observatory was closed in 1984 and the equipment transferred to the Teide Observatory
on Tenerife
, Spain
. Teide Observatory also hosts telescopes of the Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics
.
The crater Ten Bruggencate
on the Moon is named after him.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and astrophysicist.
Youth and education
Ten Bruggencate was born in ArosaArosa
Arosa is a town and a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is both a summer and a winter tourist resort.-History:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and went to several schools in Switzerland, in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and in Germany. He further studied at the University of Munich and started his PhD work with Hugo von Seeliger
Hugo von Seeliger
Hugo von Seeliger , also known as Hugo Hans Ritter von Seeliger, was a German astronomer, often considered the most important astronomer of his day....
. However, due to health problems, Seeliger had to handover the supervision of his PhD students to Hans Kienle.
Ten Bruggencate graduated from the University of Munich and in 1924, together with Hans Kienle, moved to the Göttingen University Observatory. Ten Bruggencate stayed as an assistant at the Göttingen University until 1926, when he traveled to Java. He worked there with the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
astronomer Joan Voûte
Joan Voûte
Joan George Erardus Gijsbertus Voûte was a Dutch astronomer.He was born in Madioen, Java to a Huguenot family. He studied civil engineering at Delft, but while a student he gained an interest in astronomy—studying variable stars. After graduating he joined the staff of the Leiden...
at the Bosscha Observatory
Bosscha Observatory
Bosscha Observatory is the oldest observatory in Indonesia. The observatory is located in Lembang, West Java, approximately north of Bandung. It is situated on a hilly six hectares of land and is above mean sea level plateau...
near Lembang
Lembang
Lembang is a town in the province of West Java in Java, Indonesia. The population is 183,300.Lembang is situated between 1,312 and 2,084 above sea level. Its highest point is on top of Tangkuban Perahu Mt...
and started a survey of Cepheid variable
Cepheid variable
A Cepheid is a member of a class of very luminous variable stars. The strong direct relationship between a Cepheid variable's luminosity and pulsation period, secures for Cepheids their status as important standard candles for establishing the Galactic and extragalactic distance scales.Cepheid...
stars. After two years at the Bosscha Observatory, he visited the Mt. Wilson Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory
Harvard College Observatory
The Harvard College Observatory is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and was founded in 1839...
In the United States. In 1929 he moved to the University of Greifswald in northern Germany, where he finished his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
on Cepheid variable
Cepheid variable
A Cepheid is a member of a class of very luminous variable stars. The strong direct relationship between a Cepheid variable's luminosity and pulsation period, secures for Cepheids their status as important standard candles for establishing the Galactic and extragalactic distance scales.Cepheid...
stars in 1935. Most of this work was based on the observations carried out in Lembang.
Academic career
Ten Bruggencate became chief astronomer at the Potsdam Observatory in 1935. The most valuable equipment at that time at Potsdam was the solar telescopeSolar telescope
A solar telescope is a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun. Solar telescopes usually detect light with wavelengths in, or not far outside, the visible spectrum.-Professional solar telescopes:...
in the Einstein Tower
Einstein Tower
The Einstein Tower is an astrophysical observatory in the Albert Einstein Science Park in Potsdam, Germany built by Erich Mendelsohn. It was built on the summit of the Potsdam Telegraphenberg to house a solar telescope designed by the astronomer Erwin Finlay-Freundlich...
. From that time on, the main focus of ten Bruggencate's research became the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. In 1941, during World War II, ten Bruggencate became the director at the Göttingen University Observatory. In pursuing his interest in observing the Sun, he looked for a new solar telescope
Solar telescope
A solar telescope is a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun. Solar telescopes usually detect light with wavelengths in, or not far outside, the visible spectrum.-Professional solar telescopes:...
. The already existing observatory at the Hainberg, south east of Göttingen, provided the best location within the surrounding area. The interest of the military in the effect of the Sun
Space weather
Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space or thespace from the Sun's atmosphere to the Earth's atmosphere. It is distinct from the concept ofweather within the Earth's planetary atmosphere...
on short wave radio communication made it possible to build this observatory during the war. Military patronage and ten Bruggencate's profound knowledge of the solar telescope in Potsdam assisted construction of the new telescope.
A personal antipathy between ten Bruggencate and Karl-Otto Kiepenheuer
Karl-Otto Kiepenheuer
Karl-Otto Kiepenheuer was a German astronomer and astrophysicist. His research focused on the Sun, and for that purpose he initiated construction of several solar telescopes and founded the Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics.-Life and work:Kiepenheuer was born in 1910 in Weimar, Germany, as a...
, who also worked for some time at the Göttingen University Observatory, led to a division of the German solar observations. While Kiepenheuer founded the Frauenhofer Institute
Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics
The Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics is a research institute located in Freiburg, Germany. Its research focuses on the exploration of the Sun and heliosphere...
and coordinated several solar observatories across Europe, ten Bruggencate built his own observatory. Both groups were serviced and supported by the military to help forecast short-wave communication conditions.
After the war, the observations were continued. Ten Bruggencate established a second solar observatory in Switzerland where the weather conditions were more favorable compared to the often cloudy skies over Germany. The Locarno Observatory was planned and built in the late 1950s. Ten Bruggencate was the president of the Academy of Sciences Göttingen from 1958 until 1961. He also remained as director of the Göttingen University Observatory until his death in 1961. The Locarno Observatory became fully operational shortly after his death.
The Locarno Observatory was closed in 1984 and the equipment transferred to the Teide Observatory
Teide Observatory
The Observatorio del Teide is an astronomical observatory on Tenerife operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. Opened in 1964, it became one of the first major international observatories, attracting telescopes from different countries around the world because of the good astronomical...
on Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Teide Observatory also hosts telescopes of the Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics
Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics
The Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics is a research institute located in Freiburg, Germany. Its research focuses on the exploration of the Sun and heliosphere...
.
The crater Ten Bruggencate
Ten Bruggencate (crater)
Ten Bruggencate is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon from the Earth, just to the east of the younger crater Lane. To the southeast of Ten Bruggencate is Chauvenet....
on the Moon is named after him.
Further reading
- Paul ten Bruggencate, "Astronomy, astrophysics and cosmogony", Office of Military Govt. for Germany, Field Information Agencies Technical, British, French, U.S., 1948.