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{{Short description|French astronomer (1853–1948)}}
{{Infobox scientist
{{Infobox scientist
|name = Henri-Alexandre Deslandres
|name = Henri-Alexandre Deslandres
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|caption = Henri-Alexandre Deslandres
|caption = Henri-Alexandre Deslandres
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1853|7|24}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1853|7|24}}
|birth_place = [[Paris]]
|birth_place = [[Paris]], France
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1948|1|15|1853|7|24}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1948|1|15|1853|7|24}}
|death_place = Paris
|death_place = Paris, France
|residence =
|residence =
|citizenship =
|citizenship =
|nationality = [[France|French]]
|nationality = [[French people|French]]
|ethnicity =
|ethnicity =
|field = [[astronomy]]
|field = [[astronomy]]
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|influences =
|influences =
|influenced =
|influenced =
|prizes = [[Janssen Medal (French Academy of Sciences)|Janssen Medal]] <small>(1896)</small><br>[[Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]] <small>(1913)</small><br>[[Henry Draper Medal]] <small>(1913)</small><br>[[Fellow of the Royal Society]]<ref name="frs">{{cite doi|10.1098/rsbm.1954.0006}}</ref>
|prizes = [[Janssen Medal (French Academy of Sciences)|Janssen Medal]] (1896)<br>[[Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]] (1913)<br>[[Henry Draper Medal]] (1913)<br>[[Fellow of the Royal Society]]<ref name="frs">{{Cite journal | last1 = Stratton | first1 = F. J. M. | author-link = F. J. M. Stratton| doi = 10.1098/rsbm.1954.0006 | title = Henri Alexandre Deslandres. 1853-1948 | journal = [[Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society]] | volume = 9 | issue = 1 | pages = 64–77 | year = 1954 | jstor = 769199| doi-access = free }}</ref>
|religion =
|religion =
|footnotes =
|footnotes =
|signature =
|signature =
}}
}}
'''Henri Alexandre Deslandres''' [[ForMemRS]]<ref name="frs"/> (24 July 1853 &ndash; 15 January 1948) was a [[France|French]] [[astronomer]], director of the [[Meudon Observatory|Meudon]] and [[Paris Observatory|Paris Observatories]], who carried out intensive studies on the behaviour of the atmosphere of the [[Sun]].
'''Henri Alexandre Deslandres''' ({{IPA|fr|ɑ̃ʁi alɛksɑ̃dʁ delɑ̃dʁ}}; 24 July 1853 &ndash; 15 January 1948) was a French [[astronomer]], director of the [[Meudon Observatory|Meudon]] and [[Paris Observatory|Paris Observatories]], who carried out intensive studies on the behaviour of the atmosphere of the [[Sun]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
Deslandres' undergraduate years at the [[École Polytechnique]] were played out against the aftermath of the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and the chaos of the [[Paris Commune]] so, on graduation in 1874, he responded to the continuing military tension with the emerging [[Germany]] by embarking on a military career. Rising to the rank of [[Captain (land)|captain]] in the engineers, he became increasingly interested in [[physics]] and, in 1881, resigned his commission to join [[Alfred Cornu]]'s laboratory at the École Polytechnique, working on [[spectroscopy]]. He continued his spectroscopic work at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]], earning his doctorate in 1888 and finding numerical patterns in [[spectral line]]s that paralleled the work of [[Johann Balmer]] and were to catalyse the development of [[quantum mechanics]] in the 20th century.
Deslandres' undergraduate years at the [[École Polytechnique]] were played out against the aftermath of the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and the chaos of the [[Paris Commune]] so, on graduation in 1874, he responded to the continuing military tension with the emerging [[Germany]] by embarking on a military career. Rising to the rank of [[Captain (land)|captain]] in the engineers, he became increasingly interested in [[physics]] and, in 1881, resigned his commission to join [[Alfred Cornu]]'s laboratory at the École Polytechnique, working on [[spectroscopy]]. He continued his spectroscopic work at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]], earning his doctorate in 1888 and created the [[deslandres table]], which finds numerical patterns in [[spectral line]]s that paralleled the work of [[Johann Balmer]] and were to catalyse the development of [[quantum mechanics]] in the 20th century.


In 1868, [[Pierre Janssen]]'s solar observations had led him to report to the [[Académie des Sciences]] that ''It is no longer geometry and mechanics which dominate [in astronomy] but physics and chemistry.'' Such advice was sternly rejected by director of the [[Paris Observatory]] [[Urbain Le Verrier]] and the French government awarded Janssen a grant to establish an astrophysical observatory at [[Meudon]] on the outskirts of [[Paris]] with Janssen as the sole astronomer. In 1889, Le Verrier was succeeded by [[Amédée Mouchez]] who set to work to bring astrophysics into the mainstream by hiring Deslandres. Deslandres developed the [[spectroheliograph]] simultaneously with [[George Hale]].
In 1868, [[Pierre Janssen]]'s solar observations had led him to report to the [[Académie des Sciences]] that ''It is no longer geometry and mechanics which dominate [in astronomy] but physics and chemistry.'' Such advice was sternly rejected by director of the [[Paris Observatory]] [[Urbain Le Verrier]] and the French government awarded Janssen a grant to establish an astrophysical observatory at [[Meudon]] on the outskirts of [[Paris]] with Janssen as the sole astronomer. In 1889, Le Verrier was succeeded by [[Amédée Mouchez]] who set to work to bring astrophysics into the mainstream by hiring Deslandres. Deslandres developed the [[spectroheliograph]] simultaneously with [[George Hale]].


In 1898, he joined Janssen at Meudon, increasing the scientific staff by 100%. On Janssen's death in 1907, Deslandres became director and embarked on a programme of expansion. At the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914, though already in his 60s, he returned to active service in the engineers as a [[major]] and later [[lieutenant colonel]]. In 1918, following the [[armistice]], he resumed his office at Meudon until 1926 when its administration merged with that of the Paris Observatory, Mouchez assuming the role of director of both institutions until his retirement in 1929.
In 1898, he joined Janssen at Meudon, increasing the scientific staff by 100%. On Janssen's death in 1907, Deslandres became director and embarked on a programme of expansion. Deslandres was the President of the [[Société astronomique de France|Société Astronomique de France (SAF)]], the French astronomical society, from 1907-1909.<ref name=BSAF1911>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9626551q/f616.item''Bulletin de la Société astronomique de France'', 1911, vol. 25, pp. 581-586]</ref> At the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914, though already in his 60s, he returned to active service in the engineers as a [[Major (rank)|major]] and later [[lieutenant colonel]]. In 1918, following the [[armistice]], he resumed his office at Meudon until 1926 when its administration merged with that of the Paris Observatory, Mouchez assuming the role of director of both institutions until his retirement in 1929.


He remained active in research right up until his death. Fellow astronomer Raymond Michard observed that ''In his bearing, his character and his style of life Deslandres always remained more akin to the soldier (and the officer) than to the scholar.''
He remained active in research right up until his death. Fellow astronomer Raymond Michard observed that ''In his bearing, his character and his style of life Deslandres always remained more akin to the soldier (and the officer) than to the scholar.''
[[File:Delegates to the Fourth Conference International Union for Cooperation in Solar Research at Mount Wilson Observatory.jpg|center|thumb|350x350px|Deslandres at the Fourth Conference International Union for Cooperation in Solar Research at [[Mount Wilson Observatory]], 1910]]


==Honours==
==Honours==
'''Awards'''
'''Awards'''
*[[Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]], (1913)
*[[Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]], (1913)
*[[Henry Draper Medal]] of the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]], (1913)<ref name=Draper>{{cite web|title=Henry Draper Medal|url=http://www.nasonline.org/about-nas/awards/henry-draper-medal.html|publisher=National Academy of Sciences|accessdate=19 February 2011}}</ref>
*[[Henry Draper Medal]] of the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]], (1913)<ref name=Draper>{{cite web|title=Henry Draper Medal |url=http://www.nasonline.org/about-nas/awards/henry-draper-medal.html |publisher=[[National Academy of Sciences]] |access-date=19 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126003930/http://www.nasonline.org/about-nas/awards/henry-draper-medal.html |archive-date=26 January 2013 }}</ref>
*[[Prix Jules Janssen]], the highest award of the [[Société astronomique de France]], the French astronomical society, (1920)
*[[Bruce Medal]] of the [[Astronomical Society of the Pacific]], (1921)
*[[Bruce Medal]] of the [[Astronomical Society of the Pacific]], (1921)
*[[Fellow of the Royal Society]]<ref name="frs"/>
*[[Fellow of the Royal Society]]<ref name="frs"/>
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Deslandres/DeslandresBio1.html Biography by Joseph S. Tenn]
*[http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Deslandres/DeslandresBio1.html Biography by Joseph S. Tenn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175826/http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Deslandres/DeslandresBio1.html |date=2016-03-03 }}
*[http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Deslandres/index.html Bruce Medal page]
*[http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Deslandres/index.html Bruce Medal page]
*[http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/PASP./0033//0000071.000.html Awarding of Bruce Medal: PASP '''33''' (1921) 71]
*[http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/PASP./0033//0000071.000.html Awarding of Bruce Medal: PASP '''33''' (1921) 71]
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* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/PASP./0060//0000139.000.html PASP '''60''' (1948) 139] (one paragraph)
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/PASP./0060//0000139.000.html PASP '''60''' (1948) 139] (one paragraph)


{{FRS 1921}}
{{Authority control|VIAF=66615752}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Deslandres, Henri
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = French astronomer
| DATE OF BIRTH = 24 July 1853
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Paris]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 15 January 1948
| PLACE OF DEATH = Paris
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deslandres, Henri}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deslandres, Henri}}
[[Category:1853 births]]
[[Category:1853 births]]
[[Category:1948 deaths]]
[[Category:1948 deaths]]
[[Category:University of Paris alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century French astronomers]]
⚫
[[Category:French astronomers]]
[[Category:French astrophysicists]]
[[Category:French astrophysicists]]
⚫
[[Category:19th-century astronomers]]
⚫
[[Category:20th-century astronomers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Bruce Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Bruce Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
[[Category:Foreign Members of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Members of the French Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:National Academy of Sciences laureates]]
[[Category:Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Corresponding Members of the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Foreign members of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1917–25)]]
[[Category:Corresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1917–1925)]]
[[Category:Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:University of Paris alumni]]
⚫
[[Category:19th-century French astronomers]]
⚫
[[Category:19th-century French physicists]]
⚫
[[Category:20th-century French physicists]]
[[Category:Members of the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala]]
[[Category:École Polytechnique alumni]]

Latest revision as of 18:53, 25 November 2024

Henri-Alexandre Deslandres
Henri-Alexandre Deslandres
Born(1853-07-24)24 July 1853
Paris, France
Died15 January 1948(1948-01-15) (aged 94)
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
Alma materÉcole Polytechnique
Known forspectroheliograph
AwardsJanssen Medal (1896)
Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1913)
Henry Draper Medal (1913)
Fellow of the Royal Society[1]
Scientific career
Fieldsastronomy
InstitutionsMeudon
Paris Observatories

Henri Alexandre Deslandres (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi alɛksɑ̃dʁ delɑ̃dʁ]; 24 July 1853 – 15 January 1948) was a French astronomer, director of the Meudon and Paris Observatories, who carried out intensive studies on the behaviour of the atmosphere of the Sun.

Biography

[edit]

Deslandres' undergraduate years at the École Polytechnique were played out against the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and the chaos of the Paris Commune so, on graduation in 1874, he responded to the continuing military tension with the emerging Germany by embarking on a military career. Rising to the rank of captain in the engineers, he became increasingly interested in physics and, in 1881, resigned his commission to join Alfred Cornu's laboratory at the École Polytechnique, working on spectroscopy. He continued his spectroscopic work at the Sorbonne, earning his doctorate in 1888 and created the deslandres table, which finds numerical patterns in spectral lines that paralleled the work of Johann Balmer and were to catalyse the development of quantum mechanics in the 20th century.

In 1868, Pierre Janssen's solar observations had led him to report to the Académie des Sciences that It is no longer geometry and mechanics which dominate [in astronomy] but physics and chemistry. Such advice was sternly rejected by director of the Paris Observatory Urbain Le Verrier and the French government awarded Janssen a grant to establish an astrophysical observatory at Meudon on the outskirts of Paris with Janssen as the sole astronomer. In 1889, Le Verrier was succeeded by Amédée Mouchez who set to work to bring astrophysics into the mainstream by hiring Deslandres. Deslandres developed the spectroheliograph simultaneously with George Hale.

In 1898, he joined Janssen at Meudon, increasing the scientific staff by 100%. On Janssen's death in 1907, Deslandres became director and embarked on a programme of expansion. Deslandres was the President of the Société Astronomique de France (SAF), the French astronomical society, from 1907-1909.[2] At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, though already in his 60s, he returned to active service in the engineers as a major and later lieutenant colonel. In 1918, following the armistice, he resumed his office at Meudon until 1926 when its administration merged with that of the Paris Observatory, Mouchez assuming the role of director of both institutions until his retirement in 1929.

He remained active in research right up until his death. Fellow astronomer Raymond Michard observed that In his bearing, his character and his style of life Deslandres always remained more akin to the soldier (and the officer) than to the scholar.

Deslandres at the Fourth Conference International Union for Cooperation in Solar Research at Mount Wilson Observatory, 1910

Honours

[edit]

Awards

Named after him

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Stratton, F. J. M. (1954). "Henri Alexandre Deslandres. 1853-1948". Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 9 (1): 64–77. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1954.0006. JSTOR 769199.
  2. ^ Bulletin de la Société astronomique de France, 1911, vol. 25, pp. 581-586
  3. ^ "Henry Draper Medal". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
[edit]

Obituaries

[edit]
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