Johann Bayer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1572 |
| Died | 7 March 1625 (aged 52–53) Augsburg,Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Alma mater | University of Ingolstadt |
| Known for | Uranometria |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Jurisprudence,astronomy |
Johann Bayer (German pronunciation:[ˈjoːhanˈbaɪɐ]; 1572 – 7 March 1625) was a Germanlawyer anduranographer (celestialcartographer). He was born inRain in 1572. In 1592, aged 20, he began his study of philosophy and law at theUniversity of Ingolstadt, after which he moved toAugsburg to begin work as a lawyer, becoming legal adviser to the city council in 1612.[1]
Bayer had several interests outside his work, including archaeology and mathematics. However, he is primarily known for his work in astronomy; particularly for his work on determining the positions of objects on thecelestial sphere. He remained unmarried and died in 1625.[2]
Bayer'sstar atlasUranometria Omnium Asterismorum ("Uranometry of all theasterisms") was first published in 1603 in Augsburg and dedicated to two prominent local citizens.[2] This was the firstatlas to cover the entirecelestial sphere.[3] It was based upon the work ofTycho Brahe and may have borrowed fromAlessandro Piccolomini's 1540 star atlas,De le stelle fisse ("Of the fixed stars"), although Bayer included an additional 1,000 stars. TheUranometria introduced a new system of star designation which has become known as theBayer designation.[4] Bayer's atlas included twelve new constellations invented a few years earlier to fill in the far south of the night sky, which was unknown to ancient Greece and Rome.[3][5]
The craterBayer on theMoon is named after him.
