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Max Wolf

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Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox scientist

Minor planets discovered: 248 <ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />
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Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory from 1902 until his death in 1932.

Early lifeEdit

Max Wolf was born in Heidelberg, Germany on 21 June 1863, the son of medical doctor Franz Wolf. His father encouraged an interest in science and built an observatory for his son in the garden of the family home. It is from here that Wolf was credited with his first astronomical discovery, comet 14P/Wolf, in 1884.<ref name=observ>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Life at the universityEdit

Wolf attended his local university and, in 1888, at the age of 25, was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Heidelberg. He spent one year of post-graduate study in Stockholm, the only significant time he would spend outside of Heidelberg in his life. He returned to the University of Heidelberg and accepted the position of privat-docent in 1890. A popular lecturer in astronomy, he declined offers of positions from other institutions. In 1902 he was appointed Chair of Astronomy and Director of the new Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl observatory, positions he would hold until his death in 1932.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

File:Astrograph in Heidelberg-Königstuhl-2.jpg
The Bruce double astrograph at Heidelberg Observatory

While the new observatory was being built Wolf was appointed to supervise the construction and outfitting of the astrophysics half of the observatory. He proved to be not only a capable supervisor but also a successful fundraiser. When sent to America to study the construction of the large new telescopes being built there he returned not only with telescope plans but also with a grant of $10,000 from the American philanthropist Catherine Wolfe Bruce. Wolf immediately designed and ordered a double refractor telescope from American astronomer and instrument builder John Brashear. This instrument, known as the Bruce double-astrograph, with parallel Template:Convert lenses and a fast f/5 focal ratio, became the observatory's primary research telescope. Wolf also raised money for a Template:Convert reflector telescope, the first for the observatory, used for spectroscopy.<ref name=bruce>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In 1910 Wolf proposed to the Carl Zeiss optics firm the creation of a new instrument which would become known as the planetarium. World War I intervened before the invention could be developed, but the Carl Zeiss company resumed this project after peace was restored. The first official public showing was at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany on 21 October 1923.<ref name="twothousand"> Template:Cite news</ref>

During his trip to America Wolf was interested in learning more about the relatively new field of astrophotography. He met the American astronomer and astrophotographer E.E. Barnard, and the two became lifelong correspondents, competitors, collaborators and friends. Wolf wrote a long obituary for Barnard upon his death in 1923.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Later life and deathEdit

Heidelberg University became well known for astronomy under Wolf's leadership. Wolf himself was an active researcher, contributing numerous papers in many areas of astronomy up to the end of his life. He died in Heidelberg on 3 October 1932, at the age of 69. He was survived by his widow and three sons.<ref name=observ/>

Comets and novaeEdit

Wolf started his career as a comet hunter and continued to discover them throughout his life. He discovered or co-discovered several comets, including 14P/Wolf and 43P/Wolf-Harrington. Wolf won a competition with E. E. Barnard on who would be the first to observe the return of Halley's Comet (P1/Halley) in April 1910.<ref name=bruce />

He discovered Nova Aquilae 1927, a classical nova.

He discovered or co-discovered four supernovae: SN 1895A (a.k.a. VW Vir), SN 1909A (a.k.a. SS UMa), SN 1920A, and, with Reinmuth, SN 1926A.

Dark nebulaeEdit

One of the many significant contributions Wolf made was in the determination of the nature of dark nebulae. These areas of the sky, thought since William Herschel's time to be "holes in the sky", were a puzzle to astronomers of the time. In collaboration with E. E. Barnard, Wolf proved, by careful photographic analysis, that dark nebulae were huge clouds of fine opaque dust.<ref name=bruce />

Star catalogEdit

Along with E. E. Barnard, Wolf applied astrophotography to the observation of stars. The Bruce double-astrograph was originally designed to hunt dim asteroids but it was found to be ideally suited for the study of the proper motion of low-luminosity stars using much the same technique. In 1919 Wolf published a catalog of the locations of over one thousand stars along with their measured proper motion. These stars are still commonly identified by his name and catalog number.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Among the stars he discovered is Wolf 359, a dim red dwarf that was later found to be one of the nearest stars to the Solar System.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He continued to add proper motion star discoveries to this catalog throughout his life, with the catalog eventually totaling over 1500 stars, many more than all of his competitors combined.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These stars are significant because stars with low luminosity and high proper motion, such as Barnard's Star and Wolf 359, are usually relatively close to the Earth and thus the stars in Wolf's catalog remain popular subjects for astronomical research. The methods used by E. E. Barnard and Wolf were continued by Frank Elmore Ross and George Van Biesbroeck through the mid-20th century. Since that time photographic plates have been gradually replaced with more sensitive electronic photodetectors for astronomical surveys.Template:Cn

AsteroidsEdit

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In 1891, Wolf discovered his first asteroid, 323 Brucia, and named it after Catherine Wolfe Bruce.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He pioneered the use of astrophotographic techniques to automate the discovery of asteroids, as opposed to older visual methods, as a result of which asteroid discovery rates sharply increased.<ref name="observ" /> In time-exposure photographs, asteroids appear as short streaks due to their planetary motion with respect to fixed stars. Wolf discovered 248 asteroids in his lifetime.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Among his many discoveries was 588 Achilles (the first Trojan asteroid) in 1906, as well as two other Trojans: 659 Nestor and 884 Priamus.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He also discovered 887 Alinda in 1918, which is now recognized as an Earth-crossing Amor asteroid (or sometimes classified as the namesake of its own Alinda family).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Wolf's then-record number of discoveries was surpassed by his pupil Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth on 24 July 1933.Template:Cn

List of discovered minor planetsEdit

Source: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}

323 Brucia 22 December 1891 Template:LoMP
325 Heidelberga 4 March 1892 Template:LoMP
328 Gudrun 18 March 1892 Template:LoMP
329 Svea 21 March 1892 Template:LoMP
330 Adalberta 2 February 1910 Template:LoMP
332 Siri 19 March 1892 Template:LoMP
333 Badenia 22 August 1892 Template:LoMP
334 Chicago 23 August 1892 Template:LoMP
339 Dorothea 25 September 1892 Template:LoMP
340 Eduarda 25 September 1892 Template:LoMP
341 California 25 September 1892 Template:LoMP
342 Endymion 17 October 1892 Template:LoMP
343 Ostara 15 November 1892 Template:LoMP
351 Yrsa 16 December 1892 Template:LoMP
352 Gisela 12 January 1893 Template:LoMP
353 Ruperto-Carola 16 January 1893 Template:LoMP
385 Ilmatar 1 March 1894 Template:LoMP
386 Siegena 1 March 1894 Template:LoMP
391 Ingeborg 1 November 1894 Template:LoMP
392 Wilhelmina 4 November 1894 Template:LoMP
393 Lampetia 4 November 1894 Template:LoMP
399 Persephone 23 February 1895 Template:LoMP
401 Ottilia 16 March 1895 Template:LoMP
407 Arachne 13 October 1895 Template:LoMP
408 Fama 13 October 1895 Template:LoMP
412 Elisabetha 7 January 1896 Template:LoMP
413 Edburga 7 January 1896 Template:LoMP
415 Palatia 7 February 1896 Template:LoMP
417 Suevia 6 May 1896 Template:LoMP
418 Alemannia 7 September 1896 Template:LoMP
419 Aurelia 7 September 1896 Template:LoMP
420 Bertholda 7 September 1896 Template:LoMP
421 Zahringia 7 September 1896 Template:LoMP
434 Hungaria 11 September 1898 Template:LoMP
435 Ella 11 September 1898 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
436 Patricia 13 September 1898 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
442 Eichsfeldia 15 February 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
443 Photographica 17 February 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
446 Aeternitas 27 October 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
447 Valentine 27 October 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
448 Natalie 27 October 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
449 Hamburga 31 October 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
450 Brigitta 10 October 1899 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
455 Bruchsalia 22 May 1900 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
456 Abnoba 4 June 1900 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
457 Alleghenia 15 September 1900 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
458 Hercynia 21 September 1900 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
459 Signe 22 October 1900 Template:LoMP
460 Scania 22 October 1900 Template:LoMP
461 Saskia 22 October 1900 Template:LoMP
462 Eriphyla 22 October 1900 Template:LoMP
463 Lola 31 October 1900 Template:LoMP
464 Megaira 9 January 1901 Template:LoMP
465 Alekto 13 January 1901 Template:LoMP
466 Tisiphone 17 January 1901 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
467 Laura 9 January 1901 Template:LoMP
468 Lina 18 January 1901 Template:LoMP
471 Papagena 7 June 1901 Template:LoMP
473 Nolli 13 February 1901 Template:LoMP
474 Prudentia 13 February 1901 Template:LoMP
480 Hansa 21 May 1901 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
482 Petrina 3 March 1902 Template:LoMP
483 Seppina 4 March 1902 Template:LoMP
484 Pittsburghia 29 April 1902 Template:LoMP
488 Kreusa 26 June 1902 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
490 Veritas 3 September 1902 Template:LoMP
491 Carina 3 September 1902 Template:LoMP
492 Gismonda 3 September 1902 Template:LoMP
493 Griseldis 7 September 1902 Template:LoMP
494 Virtus 7 October 1902 Template:LoMP
495 Eulalia 25 October 1902 Template:LoMP
496 Gryphia 25 October 1902 Template:LoMP
499 Venusia 24 December 1902 Template:LoMP
500 Selinur 16 January 1903 Template:LoMP
501 Urhixidur 18 January 1903 Template:LoMP
502 Sigune 19 January 1903 Template:LoMP
509 Iolanda 28 April 1903 Template:LoMP
512 Taurinensis 23 June 1903 Template:LoMP
513 Centesima 24 August 1903 Template:LoMP
514 Armida 24 August 1903 Template:LoMP
515 Athalia 20 September 1903 Template:LoMP
520 Franziska 27 October 1903 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
522 Helga 10 January 1904 Template:LoMP
524 Fidelio 14 March 1904 Template:LoMP
526 Jena 14 March 1904 Template:LoMP
527 Euryanthe 20 March 1904 Template:LoMP
528 Rezia 20 March 1904 Template:LoMP
529 Preziosa 20 March 1904 Template:LoMP
530 Turandot 11 April 1904 Template:LoMP
531 Zerlina 12 April 1904 Template:LoMP
532 Herculina 20 April 1904 Template:LoMP
539 Pamina 2 August 1904 Template:LoMP
540 Rosamunde 3 August 1904 Template:LoMP
541 Deborah 4 August 1904 Template:LoMP
549 Jessonda 15 November 1904 Template:LoMP
550 Senta 16 November 1904 Template:LoMP
551 Ortrud 16 November 1904 Template:LoMP
552 Sigelinde 14 December 1904 Template:LoMP
553 Kundry 27 December 1904 Template:LoMP
555 Norma 14 January 1905 Template:LoMP
557 Violetta 26 January 1905 Template:LoMP
558 Carmen 9 February 1905 Template:LoMP
559 Nanon 8 March 1905 Template:LoMP
560 Delila 13 March 1905 Template:LoMP
561 Ingwelde 26 March 1905 Template:LoMP
562 Salome 3 April 1905 Template:LoMP
565 Marbachia 9 May 1905 Template:LoMP
570 Kythera 30 July 1905 Template:LoMP
573 Recha 19 September 1905 Template:LoMP
574 Reginhild 19 September 1905 Template:LoMP
575 Renate 19 September 1905 Template:LoMP
577 Rhea 20 October 1905 Template:LoMP
578 Happelia 1 November 1905 Template:LoMP
580 Selene 17 December 1905 Template:LoMP
586 Thekla 21 February 1906 Template:LoMP
587 Hypsipyle 22 February 1906 Template:LoMP
588 Achilles 22 February 1906 Template:LoMP
590 Tomyris 4 March 1906 Template:LoMP
592 Bathseba 18 March 1906 Template:LoMP
594 Mireille 27 March 1906 Template:LoMP
597 Bandusia 16 April 1906 Template:LoMP
598 Octavia 13 April 1906 Template:LoMP
601 Nerthus 21 June 1906 Template:LoMP
605 Juvisia 27 August 1906 Template:LoMP
609 Fulvia 24 September 1906 Template:LoMP
610 Valeska 26 September 1906 Template:LoMP
641 Agnes 8 September 1907 Template:LoMP
642 Clara 8 September 1907 Template:LoMP
659 Nestor 23 March 1908 Template:LoMP
683 Lanzia 23 July 1909 Template:LoMP
692 Hippodamia 5 November 1901 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
707 Steina 22 December 1910 Template:LoMP
712 Boliviana 19 March 1911 Template:LoMP
733 Mocia 16 September 1912 Template:LoMP
798 Ruth 21 November 1914 Template:LoMP
800 Kressmannia 20 March 1915 Template:LoMP
801 Helwerthia 20 March 1915 Template:LoMP
802 Epyaxa 20 March 1915 Template:LoMP
805 Hormuthia 17 April 1915 Template:LoMP
806 Gyldenia 18 April 1915 Template:LoMP
807 Ceraskia 18 April 1915 Template:LoMP
809 Lundia 11 August 1915 Template:LoMP
810 Atossa 8 September 1915 Template:LoMP
811 Nauheima 8 September 1915 Template:LoMP
813 Baumeia 28 November 1915 Template:LoMP
815 Coppelia 2 February 1916 Template:LoMP
816 Juliana 8 February 1916 Template:LoMP
817 Annika 6 February 1916 Template:LoMP
818 Kapteynia 21 February 1916 Template:LoMP
819 Barnardiana 3 March 1916 Template:LoMP
820 Adriana 30 March 1916 Template:LoMP
821 Fanny 31 March 1916 Template:LoMP
822 Lalage 31 March 1916 Template:LoMP
823 Sisigambis 31 March 1916 Template:LoMP
826 Henrika 28 April 1916 Template:LoMP
831 Stateira 20 September 1916 Template:LoMP
832 Karin 20 September 1916 Template:LoMP
833 Monica 20 September 1916 Template:LoMP
834 Burnhamia 20 September 1916 Template:LoMP
835 Olivia 23 September 1916 Template:LoMP
836 Jole 23 September 1916 Template:LoMP
837 Schwarzschilda 23 September 1916 Template:LoMP
838 Seraphina 24 September 1916 Template:LoMP
839 Valborg 24 September 1916 Template:LoMP
840 Zenobia 25 September 1916 Template:LoMP
841 Arabella 1 October 1916 Template:LoMP
842 Kerstin 1 October 1916 Template:LoMP
845 Naema 16 November 1916 Template:LoMP
860 Ursina 22 January 1917 Template:LoMP
861 Aida 22 January 1917 Template:LoMP
862 Franzia 28 January 1917 Template:LoMP
863 Benkoela 9 February 1917 Template:LoMP
865 Zubaida 15 February 1917 Template:LoMP
866 Fatme 25 February 1917 Template:LoMP
868 Lova 26 April 1917 Template:LoMP
870 Manto 12 May 1917 Template:LoMP
871 Amneris 14 May 1917 Template:LoMP
872 Holda 21 May 1917 Template:LoMP
873 Mechthild 21 May 1917 Template:LoMP
874 Rotraut 25 May 1917 Template:LoMP
875 Nymphe 19 May 1917 Template:LoMP
879 Ricarda 22 July 1917 Template:LoMP
880 Herba 22 July 1917 Template:LoMP
881 Athene 22 July 1917 Template:LoMP
883 Matterania 14 September 1917 Template:LoMP
884 Priamus 22 September 1917 Template:LoMP
887 Alinda 3 January 1918 Template:LoMP
888 Parysatis 2 February 1918 Template:LoMP
889 Erynia 5 March 1918 Template:LoMP
890 Waltraut 11 March 1918 Template:LoMP
891 Gunhild 17 May 1918 Template:LoMP
892 Seeligeria 31 May 1918 Template:LoMP
893 Leopoldina 31 May 1918 Template:LoMP
894 Erda 4 June 1918 Template:LoMP
895 Helio 11 July 1918 Template:LoMP
896 Sphinx 1 August 1918 Template:LoMP
897 Lysistrata 3 August 1918 Template:LoMP
898 Hildegard 3 August 1918 Template:LoMP
899 Jokaste 3 August 1918 Template:LoMP
900 Rosalinde 10 August 1918 Template:LoMP
901 Brunsia 30 August 1918 Template:LoMP
904 Rockefellia 29 October 1918 Template:LoMP
907 Rhoda 12 November 1918 Template:LoMP
908 Buda 30 November 1918 Template:LoMP
914 Palisana 4 July 1919 Template:LoMP
919 Ilsebill 30 October 1918 Template:LoMP
927 Ratisbona 16 February 1920 Template:LoMP
946 Poësia 11 February 1921 Template:LoMP
949 Hel 11 March 1921 Template:LoMP
972 Cohnia 18 January 1922 Template:LoMP
1008 La Paz 31 October 1923 Template:LoMP
1021 Flammario 11 March 1924 Template:LoMP
1038 Tuckia 24 November 1924 Template:LoMP
1039 Sonneberga 24 November 1924 Template:LoMP
1053 Vigdis 16 November 1925 Template:LoMP
1069 Planckia 28 January 1927 Template:LoMP
1134 Kepler 25 September 1929 Template:LoMP
1141 Bohmia 4 January 1930 Template:LoMP
1169 Alwine 30 August 1930 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
1178 Irmela 13 March 1931 Template:LoMP
1179 Mally 19 March 1931 Template:LoMP
1203 Nanna 5 October 1931 Template:LoMP
1214 Richilde 1 January 1932 Template:LoMP
1219 Britta 6 February 1932 Template:LoMP
1365 Henyey 9 September 1928 Template:LoMP
1514 Ricouxa 22 August 1906 Template:LoMP
1661 Granule 31 March 1916 Template:LoMP
1703 Barry 2 September 1930 Template:LoMP
1967 Menzel 1 November 1905 Template:LoMP
2017 Wesson 20 September 1903 Template:LoMP
2119 Schwall 30 August 1930 Template:LoMP Template:Ref label
2298 Cindijon 2 October 1915 Template:LoMP
2373 Immo 4 August 1929 Template:LoMP
2443 Tomeileen 24 January 1906 Template:LoMP
2483 Guinevere 17 August 1928 Template:LoMP
2533 Fechtig 3 November 1905 Template:LoMP
2650 Elinor 14 March 1931 Template:LoMP
2732 Witt 19 March 1926 Template:LoMP
3034 Climenhaga 24 September 1917 Template:LoMP
3202 Graff 3 January 1908 Template:LoMP
3396 Muazzez 15 October 1915 Template:LoMP
3626 Ohsaki 4 August 1929 Template:LoMP
3907 Kilmartin 14 August 1904 Template:LoMP
4588 Wislicenus 13 March 1931 Template:LoMP
4775 Hansen 3 October 1927 Template:LoMP
4809 Robertball 5 September 1928 Template:LoMP
5702 Morando 16 March 1931 Template:LoMP
5926 Schönfeld 4 August 1929 Template:LoMP
Co-discovery made with:
Template:Note label A. Schwassmann
Template:Note label L. Carnera
Template:Note label P. Götz
Template:Note label A. Kopff
Template:Note label M. Ferrero

Awards and honorsEdit

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  • Bruce Medal in 1930.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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The lunar crater Wolf<ref>Template:GPN</ref> as well as the main-belt asteroids 827 Wolfiana and 1217 Maximiliana were named in his honor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Minor planet 1152 Pawona is named after both Johann Palisa and Max Wolf, in recognition of their cooperation. The name was proposed by Swedish astronomer Bror Ansgar Asplind. Pawona is a combination of "Palisa" and "Wolf" (Pa, Wo) joined with a Latin feminine suffix.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Other astronomers named WolfEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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ObituariesEdit

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