Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/538

 TEMPEL

480

TEMPEL

Head of Wilhelm Tempel

By Reinbold in the Observatory,

Copenhagen

tongue. He became enthusiastic over the Uterature and national songs of the Danes, and translated selections into German, e. g., "King Rene's Daughter". These three years in Denmark were, as he used to say, his academic career. With a de- sire to know peoples and countries from experience, he went to Christiania, but soon turned his path to the land of the fine arts. About 1850 he settled in Venice as lithographer. The Palace of the Doge seems to have attracted his artistic tastes, for he became intimately acquainted with the family of the Porter Gambin, whose daughter Marianna he married, embracing at the same time the Catholic faith. His wife testified that Tempel had never been satis- fied with his for- mer religion and purjjosely chose a Catholic com- panion in life. The marriage proved very happy, al- though not blessed with children. Contact with cul- tured people in Venice awakened in him a taste for astronomy. From his earnings he bought a 4-inch (Steinheil) comet- seeker, and in 1859 made two dis- coveries, one of a comet (designated 1859 I), on 2 April, and another of the Merope-Xebula in the Pleiades, on 19 October. The new talent for dis- coveries matured in him the plan of embracing the astronomical career. In his enthusiasm he moved to Paris, but found that lack of scientific training precluded entrance to the Imperial Observatory. Greatly disappointed by Leverrier, the director, he moved with his wife to Marseilles in 18G0, where he was accepted by Benjamin Valz as assistant astronomer.

Temjiel began his career in Marseilles with the discoveries of a comet (1860 IV) on 22 October, and of two minor planets on 4 and 8 March, 1861, all with his own 4-inch comet-seeker, on the terrace of the observatory. The position however lasted only half a year, owing partly, it would seem, to con- tinued strained relations with Leverrier. He then settled down once more as lithographer without, however, giving rest to his comet-seeker. From window or garden he discovered, during ten years, no less than thiiteen comets and four minor planets, more than half of them new. From Marseilles he began publishing his observations in the "Astro- nomische Nachrichten". In France he missed cordial and intellectual intercourse, and a liter.ary attempt of his in " Les Mondes ", in May, 1863, on the question of the variability of nebula?, was severely critieizedby Leverrier. Inthesameyear (1863) he paid a two-months' visit to his native country, spending most of the time at the observatory of Leipzig. Just two yeiu-s before, in 1861, a former astron- omer of Leipzig, d'.\rrest, had built a new ob- servatory at Co]3enhagen. Unfortunsitely for Tempel, d'Arrest was the very one who criticized his publi- cation on the Meropc-Nebula as ex.aggerated, al- though the controversy ended in justifying Tempel's assertion, that nebuUe must be observed with low magnifying powers. Tempel's effort, in 1870, to get a position under d'Arrest was fruitless.

In January, 1871, the Provisional Government ordered the Germans out of Marseilles. In spite of his experiences in France, Tempel sympathized with the unfortunate country during the war. .Ar- rived at Milan he found in Schiaparelli the man who appreciated his talents. Though he had no academic degrees, he was offered a position in the Brera Observatory. Two of Tempel's comets had attracted Schiaparelli's attention: that of 1866 (I) which furnished to him the proof of connexion with the November stream of meteors, and that of 1867 (II) which proved to revolve entirely between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and to run almost parallel with the latter planet in 1869, so as to furnish a type specimen of planetary perturbation. Comet "1869 III" is called Tempel's "third periodic comet", but its periodicity was not recognized until 1880. Four new comets were discovered in Milan. Comet "1873 11", called Tempel's "second periodic", is remarkable for the shortness of its period, being little over five years, and second only to Encke's comet. Tempel's publication in the Milan "Ephemeris" for 1872 shows that he reduced his own observations. His mind was sufficiently mathematical to acquire the use of logarithms and trigonometry and to draw elliptical orbits. Number V of the Brera Publica- tions contains masterly lithographic plates of a lunar eclipse (1 June, 1863), of the Merope-Xebula, of Jupiter's satellites and a series of Coggia's Comet. A more perfect map of the Pleiades appeared in " Monthly Notices" (XL, 1880). Contact with Schia- parelli brought honours to Tempel. The Vienna Academy rewarded him four times for the discovery of comets, the two of 1869 discovered in Marseilles, and the two of 1871. Once in 1S72, in the absence of the director, he received the Emperor of Brazil at the observatory, acted as cicerone, and presented some of his drawings. The year after, he received, through the Brazilian Consul, the diploma of "Knight of the Imperial BraziUan Order of Roses".

When, in 1873, the Arcetri Obser^-atory lost its director Donati, by death, Schiaparelli proposed Tempel as successor. The severe winters of Milan and the prospect of an independent position made it easy for Tempel to accept, although the unfinished state of the buildings and instruments, the title and scanty salary of assistant astronomer, the lack of library and assistants, were fraught with disappoint- ments. After four years' work in Milan (1871-74) Tempel moved to his last station, which he was to hold for fourteen years. He found the observatory situated in an earthly paradise. It was designed and commenced in 1869 by Donati, under the University of Florence, but interrupted in 1872 by Donati's sickness. For two years it had been left in this state. The rain poured in on all sides and a wall of the meridian room had to be supported. A description of the observatory is given by Tempel in the "Astr. Nachr.", CII (18821. The predecessor of Donati, Amici, had constructed two object-glasses, one of 9.4 inches and one of 11 inches, large sizes in those times, but their mountings were imperfect and in- complete. The former had a wooden stand and could only be used on the terrace; pointing to ob- jects of over 40° altitude was found dangerous. The mounting of the largest instrument was parallactic, but without di\nded circles, without clock-work, without clamp and slow motion. The obser\ing chair was a ladder that did not reach to stars within 20° of the horizon. Both instruments had only one eye-piece. The books present contained no star catalogues, and were l\ing on the floor. Money was still owing on the building, and no resources for the future open. The habitation was so defective that Tempel had to live in a neighbouring villa until his death.

On examination the object-glasses proved a little