Education
He completed his education at the University of Bonn in 1827, then taught mathematics at a school in Cologne.
Astronomer mathematician university professor
He completed his education at the University of Bonn in 1827, then taught mathematics at a school in Cologne.
In 1832 he taught at Aachen, and remained there until 1852. He was then appointed by King Frederick William IV to a chair position at the Academy of Münster in 1852. In 1869 he became rector of the Academy.
While at the academy he made a series of observations of the night sky, including the Milky Way, zodiacal light, stars, and shooting stars.
These were published in the following works, among others: Atlas Coelestis Novus, Cologne, 1872. Zodiakal-Beobachtungen.
Sternschnuppen-Beobachtungen. De Magnitudine, 1852.
His star atlas, which was based on the Uranometria Nova, helped define the constellation borders in the northern sky.
His other publications included a treatise on the eclipses during the Peloponnesian war, Halley"s comet, and some mathematical text books He was also the first person to record a count of the Perseid meteor shower in 1839, giving an hourly rate of 160. Observers have recorded the hourly count every year since that time.
German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.