Johann Benzenberg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1777-05-05)5 May 1777 |
| Died | 7 June 1846(1846-06-07) (aged 69) |
| Resting place | Schöllerweg,Wuppertal |
| Alma mater | University of Duisburg |
| Spouse | Charlotte Platzhoff |
Johann Friedrich Benzenberg (5 May 1777 – 7 June 1846) was a German astronomer, geologist, and physicist.
Benzenberg was born nearElberfeld,Germany on 5 May 1777 to Heinrich Benzenberg and Johanna Elisabeth. He married Charlotte Platzhoff in 1807. After studyingtheology atHerborn andMarburg, he travelled toGöttingen where he became interested in science through attending lectures byGeorg Christoph Lichtenberg andAbraham Gotthelf Kästner. Benzenberg obtained aPhD from theUniversity of Duisburg in 1800 and became aprofessor of mathematics at the women's college ofDüsseldorf in 1805. After theNapoleonic occupation of Germany he immigrated toSwitzerland where he became interested in politics.[1] Benzenberg's interest in politics led him to write extensively on issues such as the constitution of Prussia.[2] In 1844 Benzenberg built a private observatory, theDüsseldorf-Bilk Observatory, in Bilk, which he later donated to the city along with a grant to pay for a resident astronomer.[1]
In 1798, whilst still a student at the University of Göttingen, Benzenberg andHeinrich Wilhelm Brandes studied the atmospheric altitude ofmeteors, collecting the first evidence that they were inside the atmosphere.[3] Later, in 1802 and 1804, Benzenberg helped prove theEarth's rotation by conducting experiments originally suggested byIsaac Newton; dropping balls from a height.[4]
