Born Berlin, (Germany), 29 May 1794
Died Hanover, Germany, 14 March 1874
Johann von Mädler published a celebrated chart of the Moon and the first scientifically based selenography. He was also the author of the first map of Mars, made contributions to stellar astronomy, and compiled a useful history of astronomy.
Mädler was born into the family of a master tailor. Though frail as a child, at the age of 12 he was sent to the Friedrich‐Werdersche Gymnasium in Berlin where he received a sound grounding in science and mathematics. His interest in astronomy was inspired by the Great Comet of 1811 (C/1811 F1). Although Mädler was an excellent scholar, he was unable to enter the university at the age of 19. An outbreak of typhus claimed both his parents, so instead of an academic career he considered it his duty to support four younger siblings. He enrolled in the tuition‐free Kürstenschen seminary to prepare for a career as an elementary school teacher. At the same time, Mädler began...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Selected References
Both, Ernst E. (1961). A History of Lunar Studies. Buffalo, New York: Buffalo Museum of Science.
Eelsalu, Heino, Jürgen Hamel, and Dieter Hermann (1985). Johann Heinrich Mädler, 1794–1874: Eine dokumentarische Biographie. Berlin: Akademie‐Verlag.
Mädler, Johann Heinrich. (Eight editions between 1841 and 1884). Der Wunderbau des Weltalls, oder, Populäre Astronomie.
——— (1846). Astronomische Briefe. Mitau.
——— (1846). Die Centralsonne. Dorpat.
——— (1847, 1848). Untersuchungen über die Fixstern–Systeme. Mitau.
——— (1856). Die Eigenbewegungen der Fixsterne. Dorpat.
——— (1862). Astronomie zum Schulgebrauch.
——— (1873). Geschichte der Himmelskunde. Braunschweig.
Sheehan, William P. and Thomas A. Dobbins (2001). Epic Moon: A History of Lunar Exploration in the Age of the Telescope. Richmond, Virginia: Willmann‐Bell.
Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon: A History of Lunar Cartography and Nomenclature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Joeveer, M. (2007). Mädler, Johann Heinrich von. In: Hockey, T., et al. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30400-7_883
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30400-7_883
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-31022-0
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30400-7
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics