Charles Malapert
Encyclopedia
Charles Malapert was a Belgian Jesuit writer
, astronomer
and proponent of Aristotelian cosmology
. He was considered one of the intellectual champions of the Roman Catholic Church
. He used observations of comet
s and star
s of the southern sky to attack the hypotheses of Copernicus and Galileo.
He is also known for observations of sunpots and of the lunar surface, and the crater Malapert
on the Moon is named after him.
Malapert was born at Mons
. He worked closely with the Jesuit Alexius Sylvius Polonus
in at the Jesuit College in Kalisz
and at the University of Douai
.
In 1630, Malapert was called to Spain
to occupy a newly created chair in the Jesuit Colegio Imperial de Madrid
. However, he fell ill during the journey and died in Vitoria-Gasteiz
shortly after his arrival in Spain
. Sylvius continued on.
Apart from being an astronomer and a mathematician, Malapert also wrote Latin poems and theatre plays that became modest bestsellers during the 17th century.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and proponent of Aristotelian cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
. He was considered one of the intellectual champions of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He used observations of comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s and star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s of the southern sky to attack the hypotheses of Copernicus and Galileo.
He is also known for observations of sunpots and of the lunar surface, and the crater Malapert
Malapert (crater)
Malapert is a lunar crater that lies near the southern limb of the Moon. From the Earth this formation is viewed from the side, limiting the amount of detail that can be seen. The crater is also illuminated at very low angles, so that parts of the interior remain in almost constant darkness...
on the Moon is named after him.
Malapert was born at Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
. He worked closely with the Jesuit Alexius Sylvius Polonus
Alexius Sylvius Polonus
Alexius Sylvius Polonus was a Polish Jesuit astronomer and maker of astronomical instruments. He adopted the added name of Polonus, meaning "Pole" in Latin....
in at the Jesuit College in Kalisz
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
and at the University of Douai
University of Douai
The University of Douai is a former university in Douai, France. With a Middle Ages heritage of scholar activities in Douai, the university was established in 1559 and lectures started in 1562. It closed from 1795 to 1808...
.
In 1630, Malapert was called to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to occupy a newly created chair in the Jesuit Colegio Imperial de Madrid
Colegio Imperial de Madrid
Colegio Imperial de Madrid was the name of a Jesuit teaching institution in Madrid....
. However, he fell ill during the journey and died in Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
shortly after his arrival in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Sylvius continued on.
Apart from being an astronomer and a mathematician, Malapert also wrote Latin poems and theatre plays that became modest bestsellers during the 17th century.
External links
- Arithmeticae practicae brevis institutio, Car Malapert, 1679, full text Alexander Birkenmajer, Alexius Sylvius Polonus (1593 ca. 1653), a little-known maker of astronomical instruments