Ivan Paskvić (German: Johann Pasquich, Hungarian: János Pasquich, 3 January 1754 – 15 December 1829) was an astronomer, physicist and mathematician from theAustrian Empire.
Paskvić was born inSenj. He was educated inZagreb, from 1778 inGraz and from 1782 inBuda. InBuda he was an adjunct professor of physics, professor of mathematics, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and director ofBuda Observatory. HisSlovakian colleague Daniel M. Kmeth accused him in several scientific journals of forging observational data ofBuda Observatory. After examining the data many prominent scientists inEurope stood in Paskvić's defense, such asCarl Friedrich Gauss,Friedrich Bessel,Johann Franz Encke,Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers,Heinrich Christian Schumacher. From 1824 he worked inVienna where he died.
Paskvić dealt with astronomy, higher geodesy, mathematics, mechanics and theory of machines. His scientific work is divided into two periods. The first period deals with mechanics, higher mathematics and with its applications to theory of machines.[1][2][3] The second period deals with astronomy and higher geodesy.[4][5][6][7] He derives the formula for the length of a mathematical seconds pendulum at any place on the Earth, compares it with that ofLaplace and correctsde Prony's formula for the length of physical seconds pendulum.[8] He determined the flattening of the Earth by finding formula's for 1) radius of the circle that passes through a point on Earth's surface and is parallel to the equator, 2) distance of the center of this circle from the center of the Earth, 3) meridian radius curvature at any point on Earth's surface, 4) size of one meridian degree, 5) the angle between the radius of the Earth at the equator and at some other point on Earth's surface, 6) the length of the quarter meridian, 7) the length of themeridian arc, 8) surface of Earth's zone between any two parallels.[9][10]
