Antonín Rükl

Who is Antonín Rükl?

Antonín Rükl is an astronomer, cartographer, and author from the Czech Republic.

He was born in Čáslav, Czechoslovakia. As a student he developed what was to be a lifelong interest in Astronomy. He graduated from the Czech Technical University in 1956, then became a staff member of the astronomical department in the Prague Institute of Geodesy.

Beginning in 1960 he joined the Prague Planetarium, eventually becoming deputy director and then head. He also became chairman of the Planetary Section of the Czechoslovak Astronomical Society and served as vice president of the International Planetarium Directors Conference from 1996 until 1999. He retired at the end of 1999.

During his career he was a popularizer of astronomy and authored many books on the subject. He is skilled in cartography as well as selenography, the skill of mapping the Moon. He illustrates many of his own books, including the highly regarded Atlas of the Moon.

He is married to Sonja. They have a daughter Jane and son Mike.