Editing Arthur Auwers (section)

{{Short description|German astronomer (1838–1915)}}
{{More footnotes|date=April 2011}}

 {{Infobox scientist
| name = Arthur Auwers
| image = Arthur Auwers 1884 Theodor Prumm Prumm Theodor btv1b8452873q (cropped).jpg
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| caption = Arthur Auwers in 1884
| birth_date = {{birth date|1838|9|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Göttingen]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1915|1|24|1838|9|12|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Berlin]]
| residence = 
| nationality = German
| ethnicity = 
| field = [[Astronomy]]
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'''Georg Friedrich Julius Arthur von Auwers''' (12 September 1838 – 24 January 1915) was a German [[astronomer]]. Auwers was born in [[Göttingen]] to Gottfried Daniel Auwers and Emma Christiane Sophie (née Borkenstein).<ref>{{cite book |title=The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers |last=Hockey |first=Thomas |year=2009 |publisher=[[Springer Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-387-31022-0 |access-date=August 22, 2012 |url=http://www.springerreference.com/docs/html/chapterdbid/58089.html}}</ref>

He attended the [[University of Göttingen]] and worked at the [[University of Königsberg]]. He specialized in [[astrometry]], making very precise measurements of stellar positions and motions. He detected the companion stars of [[Sirius]] and [[Procyon]] from their effects on the main star's motion, before telescopes were powerful enough to visually observe them. He was from 1866 Secretary to the [[Prussian Academy of Sciences|Berlin Academy]], and directed expeditions to measure the [[Astronomical transit|transits]] of [[Venus]], in order to measure the distance from the earth to the [[Sun]] more accurately, and therefore be able to calculate the dimensions of the [[Solar System]] more accurately and with greater precision. He began a project to unify all available sky charts, an interest that began with his catalog of [[nebulae]] which he published in 1862. He died in [[Berlin]]. His grave is preserved in the [[Protestant]] ''Friedhof&nbsp;I der Jerusalems- und Neuen Kirchengemeinde'' (Cemetery No.&nbsp;I of the congregations of [[Jerusalem's Church]] and [[Deutscher Dom|New Church]]) in [[Kreuzberg|Berlin-Kreuzberg]], south of [[Hallesches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)|Hallesches Tor]].

His son [[Karl von Auwers]] became a well known chemist and discoverer of the [[Auwers synthesis]].