Friedrich von Hahn

Astronomer

1742 – 1805

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Who was Friedrich von Hahn?

Friedrich II. Graf von Hahn was a German nobleman, a philosopher and astronomer. He suggested the Doppler effect before Doppler.

Von Hahn was born in Neuhaus, Holstein. In 1793 he started the construction of a private observatory, the first in Mecklenburg, which was well equipped. He owned some of the largest mirrors made by William Herschel and precision instruments for determining the position of stars. In 1800, he discovered the central star in M57, the Ring Nebula in the constellation Lyra.

He died in Remplin, Mecklenburg. After his death, his son, the "theatrical count" and father of author Ida, Countess von Hahn-Hahn, squandered his fortune and all books and instruments were sold. The best instruments were bought by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel for the new observatory in Königsberg. One instrument is on display in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

He is honoured together with Otto Hahn by the lunar crater Hahn.

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Born
Jul 27, 1742
Giekau
Nationality
  • Germany
Profession
Died
Oct 9, 1805
Remplin

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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