Max Wolf
Max Wolf
Born
Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf

(1863-06-21)21 June 1863
Died3 October 1932(1932-10-03) (aged 69)
Heidelberg, Germany
NationalityGerman
Alma materUniversity of Heidelberg
Known forAstrophotography
AwardsBruce Medal (1930)
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsUniversity of Heidelberg
Doctoral advisorLeo Königsberger
Doctoral studentsAugust Kopff
Heinrich Vogt
Minor planets discovered: 248[1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory from 1902 until his death in 1932.

Early life

Max Wolf was born in Heidelberg, Germany on 21 June 1863, the son of medical doctor Franz Wolf. His father encouraged an interest in science and built an observatory for his son in the garden of the family home. It is from here that Wolf was credited with his first astronomical discovery, comet 14P/Wolf, in 1884.[2]

Life at the university

Wolf attended his local university and, in 1888, at the age of 25, was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Heidelberg. He spent one year of post-graduate study in Stockholm, the only significant time he would spend outside of Heidelberg in his life. He returned to the University of Heidelberg and accepted the position of privat-docent in 1890. A popular lecturer in astronomy, he declined offers of positions from other institutions. In 1902 he was appointed Chair of Astronomy and Director of the new Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl observatory, positions he would hold until his death in 1932.[3]

The Bruce double astrograph at Heidelberg Observatory

While the new observatory was being built Wolf was appointed to supervise the construction and outfitting of the astrophysics half of the observatory. He proved to be not only a capable supervisor but also a successful fundraiser. When sent to America to study the construction of the large new telescopes being built there he returned not only with telescope plans but also with a grant of $10,000 from the American philanthropist Catherine Wolfe Bruce. Wolf immediately designed and ordered a double refractor telescope from American astronomer and instrument builder John Brashear. This instrument, known as the Bruce double-astrograph, with parallel 16 in (41 cm) lenses and a fast f/5 focal ratio, became the observatory's primary research telescope. Wolf also raised money for a 28 in (71 cm) reflector telescope, the first for the observatory, used for spectroscopy.[4]

In 1910 Wolf proposed to the Carl Zeiss optics firm the creation of a new instrument which would become known as the planetarium. World War I intervened before the invention could be developed, but the Carl Zeiss company resumed this project after peace was restored. The first official public showing was at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany on 21 October 1923.[5]

During his trip to America Wolf was interested in learning more about the relatively new field of astrophotography. He met the American astronomer and astrophotographer E.E. Barnard, and the two became lifelong correspondents, competitors, collaborators and friends. Wolf wrote a long obituary for Barnard upon his death in 1923.[6]

Later life and death

Heidelberg University became well known for astronomy under Wolf's leadership. Wolf himself was an active researcher, contributing numerous papers in many areas of astronomy up to the end of his life. He died in Heidelberg on 3 October 1932, at the age of 69. He was survived by his widow and three sons.[2]

Comets and novae

Wolf started his career as a comet hunter and continued to discover them throughout his life. He discovered or co-discovered several comets, including 14P/Wolf and 43P/Wolf-Harrington. Wolf won a competition with E. E. Barnard on who would be the first to observe the return of Halley's Comet (P1/Halley) in April 1910.[4]

He discovered Nova Aquilae 1927, a classical nova.

He discovered or co-discovered four supernovae: SN 1895A (a.k.a. VW Vir), SN 1909A (a.k.a. SS UMa), SN 1920A, and, with Reinmuth, SN 1926A.

Dark nebulae

One of the many significant contributions Wolf made was in the determination of the nature of dark nebulae. These areas of the sky, thought since William Herschel's time to be "holes in the sky", were a puzzle to astronomers of the time. In collaboration with E. E. Barnard, Wolf proved, by careful photographic analysis, that dark nebulae were huge clouds of fine opaque dust.[4]

Star catalog

Along with E. E. Barnard, Wolf applied astrophotography to the observation of stars. The Bruce double-astrograph was originally designed to hunt dim asteroids but it was found to be ideally suited for the study of the proper motion of low-luminosity stars using much the same technique. In 1919 Wolf published a catalog of the locations of over one thousand stars along with their measured proper motion. These stars are still commonly identified by his name and catalog number.[7] Among the stars he discovered is Wolf 359, a dim red dwarf that was later found to be one of the nearest stars to the Solar System.[8] He continued to add proper motion star discoveries to this catalog throughout his life, with the catalog eventually totaling over 1500 stars, many more than all of his competitors combined.[9] These stars are significant because stars with low luminosity and high proper motion, such as Barnard's Star and Wolf 359, are usually relatively close to the Earth and thus the stars in Wolf's catalog remain popular subjects for astronomical research. The methods used by E. E. Barnard and Wolf were continued by Frank Elmore Ross and George Van Biesbroeck through the mid-20th century. Since that time photographic plates have been gradually replaced with more sensitive electronic photodetectors for astronomical surveys.

Asteroids

In 1891, Wolf discovered his first asteroid, 323 Brucia, and named it after Catherine Wolfe Bruce.[10] He pioneered the use of astrophotographic techniques to automate the discovery of asteroids, as opposed to older visual methods, as a result of which asteroid discovery rates sharply increased.[2] In time-exposure photographs, asteroids appear as short streaks due to their planetary motion with respect to fixed stars. Wolf discovered 248 asteroids in his lifetime.[11]

Among his many discoveries was 588 Achilles (the first Trojan asteroid) in 1906, as well as two other Trojans: 659 Nestor and 884 Priamus.[12] He also discovered 887 Alinda in 1918, which is now recognized as an Earth-crossing Amor asteroid (or sometimes classified as the namesake of its own Alinda family).[13] Wolf's then-record number of discoveries was surpassed by his pupil Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth on 24 July 1933.

List of discovered minor planets

Source: "Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 31 May 2019.

323 Brucia22 December 1891list
325 Heidelberga4 March 1892list
328 Gudrun18 March 1892list
329 Svea21 March 1892list
330 Adalberta2 February 1910list
332 Siri19 March 1892list
333 Badenia22 August 1892list
334 Chicago23 August 1892list
339 Dorothea25 September 1892list
340 Eduarda25 September 1892list
341 California25 September 1892list
342 Endymion17 October 1892list
343 Ostara15 November 1892list
351 Yrsa16 December 1892list
352 Gisela12 January 1893list
353 Ruperto-Carola16 January 1893list
385 Ilmatar1 March 1894list
386 Siegena1 March 1894list
391 Ingeborg1 November 1894list
392 Wilhelmina4 November 1894list
393 Lampetia4 November 1894list
399 Persephone23 February 1895list
401 Ottilia16 March 1895list
407 Arachne13 October 1895list
408 Fama13 October 1895list
412 Elisabetha7 January 1896list
413 Edburga7 January 1896list
415 Palatia7 February 1896list
417 Suevia6 May 1896list
418 Alemannia7 September 1896list
419 Aurelia7 September 1896list
420 Bertholda7 September 1896list
421 Zahringia7 September 1896list
434 Hungaria11 September 1898list
435 Ella11 September 1898list[A]
436 Patricia13 September 1898list[A]
442 Eichsfeldia15 February 1899list[A]
443 Photographica17 February 1899list[A]
446 Aeternitas27 October 1899list[A]
447 Valentine27 October 1899list[A]
448 Natalie27 October 1899list[A]
449 Hamburga31 October 1899list[A]
450 Brigitta10 October 1899list[A]
455 Bruchsalia22 May 1900list[A]
456 Abnoba4 June 1900list[A]
457 Alleghenia15 September 1900list[A]
458 Hercynia21 September 1900list[A]
459 Signe22 October 1900list
460 Scania22 October 1900list
461 Saskia22 October 1900list
462 Eriphyla22 October 1900list
463 Lola31 October 1900list
464 Megaira9 January 1901list
465 Alekto13 January 1901list
466 Tisiphone17 January 1901list[B]
467 Laura9 January 1901list
468 Lina18 January 1901list
471 Papagena7 June 1901list
473 Nolli13 February 1901list
474 Prudentia13 February 1901list
480 Hansa21 May 1901list[B]
482 Petrina3 March 1902list
483 Seppina4 March 1902list
484 Pittsburghia29 April 1902list
488 Kreusa26 June 1902list[B]
490 Veritas3 September 1902list
491 Carina3 September 1902list
492 Gismonda3 September 1902list
493 Griseldis7 September 1902list
494 Virtus7 October 1902list
495 Eulalia25 October 1902list
496 Gryphia25 October 1902list
499 Venusia24 December 1902list
500 Selinur16 January 1903list
501 Urhixidur18 January 1903list
502 Sigune19 January 1903list
509 Iolanda28 April 1903list
512 Taurinensis23 June 1903list
513 Centesima24 August 1903list
514 Armida24 August 1903list
515 Athalia20 September 1903list
520 Franziska27 October 1903list[C]
522 Helga10 January 1904list
524 Fidelio14 March 1904list
526 Jena14 March 1904list
527 Euryanthe20 March 1904list
528 Rezia20 March 1904list
529 Preziosa20 March 1904list
530 Turandot11 April 1904list
531 Zerlina12 April 1904list
532 Herculina20 April 1904list
539 Pamina2 August 1904list
540 Rosamunde3 August 1904list
541 Deborah4 August 1904list
549 Jessonda15 November 1904list
550 Senta16 November 1904list
551 Ortrud16 November 1904list
552 Sigelinde14 December 1904list
553 Kundry27 December 1904list
555 Norma14 January 1905list
557 Violetta26 January 1905list
558 Carmen9 February 1905list
559 Nanon8 March 1905list
560 Delila13 March 1905list
561 Ingwelde26 March 1905list
562 Salome3 April 1905list
565 Marbachia9 May 1905list
570 Kythera30 July 1905list
573 Recha19 September 1905list
574 Reginhild19 September 1905list
575 Renate19 September 1905list
577 Rhea20 October 1905list
578 Happelia1 November 1905list
580 Selene17 December 1905list
586 Thekla21 February 1906list
587 Hypsipyle22 February 1906list
588 Achilles22 February 1906list
590 Tomyris4 March 1906list
592 Bathseba18 March 1906list
594 Mireille27 March 1906list
597 Bandusia16 April 1906list
598 Octavia13 April 1906list
601 Nerthus21 June 1906list
605 Juvisia27 August 1906list
609 Fulvia24 September 1906list
610 Valeska26 September 1906list
641 Agnes8 September 1907list
642 Clara8 September 1907list
659 Nestor23 March 1908list
683 Lanzia23 July 1909list
692 Hippodamia5 November 1901list[D]
707 Steina22 December 1910list
712 Boliviana19 March 1911list
733 Mocia16 September 1912list
798 Ruth21 November 1914list
800 Kressmannia20 March 1915list
801 Helwerthia20 March 1915list
802 Epyaxa20 March 1915list
805 Hormuthia17 April 1915list
806 Gyldenia18 April 1915list
807 Ceraskia18 April 1915list
809 Lundia11 August 1915list
810 Atossa8 September 1915list
811 Nauheima8 September 1915list
813 Baumeia28 November 1915list
815 Coppelia2 February 1916list
816 Juliana8 February 1916list
817 Annika6 February 1916list
818 Kapteynia21 February 1916list
819 Barnardiana3 March 1916list
820 Adriana30 March 1916list
821 Fanny31 March 1916list
822 Lalage31 March 1916list
823 Sisigambis31 March 1916list
826 Henrika28 April 1916list
831 Stateira20 September 1916list
832 Karin20 September 1916list
833 Monica20 September 1916list
834 Burnhamia20 September 1916list
835 Olivia23 September 1916list
836 Jole23 September 1916list
837 Schwarzschilda23 September 1916list
838 Seraphina24 September 1916list
839 Valborg24 September 1916list
840 Zenobia25 September 1916list
841 Arabella1 October 1916list
842 Kerstin1 October 1916list
845 Naema16 November 1916list
860 Ursina22 January 1917list
861 Aida22 January 1917list
862 Franzia28 January 1917list
863 Benkoela9 February 1917list
865 Zubaida15 February 1917list
866 Fatme25 February 1917list
868 Lova26 April 1917list
870 Manto12 May 1917list
871 Amneris14 May 1917list
872 Holda21 May 1917list
873 Mechthild21 May 1917list
874 Rotraut25 May 1917list
875 Nymphe19 May 1917list
879 Ricarda22 July 1917list
880 Herba22 July 1917list
881 Athene22 July 1917list
883 Matterania14 September 1917list
884 Priamus22 September 1917list
887 Alinda3 January 1918list
888 Parysatis2 February 1918list
889 Erynia5 March 1918list
890 Waltraut11 March 1918list
891 Gunhild17 May 1918list
892 Seeligeria31 May 1918list
893 Leopoldina31 May 1918list
894 Erda4 June 1918list
895 Helio11 July 1918list
896 Sphinx1 August 1918list
897 Lysistrata3 August 1918list
898 Hildegard3 August 1918list
899 Jokaste3 August 1918list
900 Rosalinde10 August 1918list
901 Brunsia30 August 1918list
904 Rockefellia29 October 1918list
907 Rhoda12 November 1918list
908 Buda30 November 1918list
914 Palisana4 July 1919list
919 Ilsebill30 October 1918list
927 Ratisbona16 February 1920list
946 Poësia11 February 1921list
949 Hel11 March 1921list
972 Cohnia18 January 1922list
1008 La Paz31 October 1923list
1021 Flammario11 March 1924list
1038 Tuckia24 November 1924list
1039 Sonneberga24 November 1924list
1053 Vigdis16 November 1925list
1069 Planckia28 January 1927list
1134 Kepler25 September 1929list
1141 Bohmia4 January 1930list
1169 Alwine30 August 1930list[E]
1178 Irmela13 March 1931list
1179 Mally19 March 1931list
1203 Nanna5 October 1931list
1214 Richilde1 January 1932list
1219 Britta6 February 1932list
1365 Henyey9 September 1928list
1514 Ricouxa22 August 1906list
1661 Granule31 March 1916list
1703 Barry2 September 1930list
1967 Menzel1 November 1905list
2017 Wesson20 September 1903list
2119 Schwall30 August 1930list[E]
2298 Cindijon2 October 1915list
2373 Immo4 August 1929list
2443 Tomeileen24 January 1906list
2483 Guinevere17 August 1928list
2533 Fechtig3 November 1905list
2650 Elinor14 March 1931list
2732 Witt19 March 1926list
3034 Climenhaga24 September 1917list
3202 Graff3 January 1908list
3396 Muazzez15 October 1915list
3626 Ohsaki4 August 1929list
3907 Kilmartin14 August 1904list
4588 Wislicenus13 March 1931list
4775 Hansen3 October 1927list
4809 Robertball5 September 1928list
5702 Morando16 March 1931list
5926 Schönfeld4 August 1929list
Co-discovery made with:
A A. Schwassmann
B L. Carnera
C P. Götz
D A. Kopff
E M. Ferrero

Awards and honors

The lunar crater Wolf[17] as well as the main-belt asteroids 827 Wolfiana and 1217 Maximiliana were named in his honor.[18][19]

Minor planet 1152 Pawona is named after both Johann Palisa and Max Wolf, in recognition of their cooperation. The name was proposed by Swedish astronomer Bror Ansgar Asplind. Pawona is a combination of "Palisa" and "Wolf" (Pa, Wo) joined with a Latin feminine suffix.[20]

Other astronomers named Wolf

References

  1. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 MacPherson, H. (1932). "Obituary: Max Wolf". The Observatory. 55: 355–359. Bibcode:1932Obs....55..355M.
  3. "Obituary Notices: Associates:- Wolf, Max". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 93 (4): 236. February 1933. Bibcode:1933MNRAS..93..236.. doi:10.1093/mnras/93.4.236.
  4. 1 2 3 Tenn, Joseph S. (1994). "Max Wolf: The Twenty-Fifth Bruce Medalist" (PDF). Mercury. 23 (4): 27–28. Bibcode:1994Mercu..23d..27T. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  5. Chartrand, Mark (September 1973). "A Fifty Year Anniversary of a Two Thousand Year Dream (The History of the Planetarium)". The Planetarian. Vol. 2, no. 3. International Planetarium Society. ISSN 0090-3213. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
  6. Wolf, M. (April 1923). "Anzeige des Todes von Edward Emerson Barnard". Astronomische Nachrichten (in German). 218 (16): 241–248. Bibcode:1923AN....218..241W. doi:10.1002/asna.19232181602.
  7. Wolf, M. (1919). "Katalog von 1053 staerker bewegten Fixsternen". Veroeffentlichungen der Badischen Sternwarte zu Heidelberg (in German). 7 (10): 195–219. Bibcode:1919VeHei...7..195W.
  8. Wolf, M. (July 1917). "Eigenbewegungssterne". Astronomische Nachrichten (in German). 204 (20): 345. Bibcode:1917AN....204..345W. doi:10.1002/asna.19172042002.
  9. "Wolf". Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  10. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(323) Brucia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 42. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_324. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  11. Hughes, Stefan (2012). Catchers of the Light: The Forgotten Lives of the Men and Women Who First Photographed the Heavens. ArtDeCiel Publishing. p. 398. ISBN 9781620509616.
  12. Nicholson, Seth B. (1961). "The Trojan asteroids". Astronomical Society of the Pacific Leaflets. 8 (381): 239–46. Bibcode:1961ASPL....8..239N.
  13. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(323) Brucia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 80. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_324. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  14. S. A. F (1979). "Prix et Médailles décernés par la Société depuis sa fondation". L'Astronomie. 93: 543. Bibcode:1979LAstr..93..543S.
  15. "Gold Medal Winners" (PDF). RAS. 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  16. "Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal". Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  17. "Max Wolf". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  18. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(827) Wolfiana". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 76. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_828. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  19. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1217) Maximiliana". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 101. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1218. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  20. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1152) Pawona". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 97. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1153. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.

Obituaries

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