Eugène Michel Antoniadi
Encyclopedia
Eugène Michel Antoniadi (1 March 1870 – 10 February 1944) was a Greek
astronomer
, born in Asia Minor
, who spent most of his life in France
. He was also known as Eugenios Antoniadis. His name is also sometimes given as Eugène Michael Antoniadi or even (incorrectly) as Eugène Marie Antoniadi.
Antoniadi became a highly reputed observer of Mars
, and at first supported the notion of Martian canals
, but after using the 83 centimeter telescope
at Meudon Observatory during the 1909 opposition of Mars, he came to the conclusion that canals were an optical illusion
. He also observed Venus
and Mercury
. He made the first attempts to draw a map
of Mercury, but his maps were flawed by his incorrect assumption that Mercury had synchronous rotation
with the Sun
. The first standard nomenclature for Martian albedo features was introduced by the International Astronomical Union
(IAU) when they adopted 128 names from the 1929 map of Antoniadi named La Planète Mars.
A crater on Mars and the crater Antoniadi
on the Moon
were named in his honor, as well as Antoniadi Dorsum
on Mercury itself. He is also famed for creating the Antoniadi scale
of seeing, which is commonly used by amateur astronomer
s. He was also a strong chess
player. His best result was equal first with Frank Marshall in a tournament in Paris
in 1907, a point ahead of Savielly Tartakower
.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
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...
, born in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, who spent most of his life in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was also known as Eugenios Antoniadis. His name is also sometimes given as Eugène Michael Antoniadi or even (incorrectly) as Eugène Marie Antoniadi.
Antoniadi became a highly reputed observer of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, and at first supported the notion of Martian canals
Martian canals
For a time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was erroneously believed that there were canals on Mars. These were a network of long straight lines that appeared in drawings of the planet Mars in the equatorial regions from 60° N. to 60° S. Lat., first observed by the Italian astronomer...
, but after using the 83 centimeter telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
at Meudon Observatory during the 1909 opposition of Mars, he came to the conclusion that canals were an optical illusion
Optical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
. He also observed Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
and Mercury
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
. He made the first attempts to draw a map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
of Mercury, but his maps were flawed by his incorrect assumption that Mercury had synchronous rotation
Synchronous rotation
In astronomy, synchronous rotation is a planetological term describing a body orbiting another, where the orbiting body takes as long to rotate on its axis as it does to make one orbit; and therefore always keeps the same hemisphere pointed at the body it is orbiting...
with the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. The first standard nomenclature for Martian albedo features was introduced by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
(IAU) when they adopted 128 names from the 1929 map of Antoniadi named La Planète Mars.
A crater on Mars and the crater Antoniadi
Antoniadi (lunar crater)
Antoniadi is a large lunar impact crater that lies on the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. The crater intrudes into the southeastern rim of the crater Minnaert, a slightly smaller formation that is significantly more eroded. Attached to the eastern rim of Antoniadi is Numerov,...
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
were named in his honor, as well as Antoniadi Dorsum
Antoniadi Dorsum
Antoniadi Dorsum is a ridge on Mercury at . It was named by the International Astronomical Union after Eugène Michel Antoniadi....
on Mercury itself. He is also famed for creating the Antoniadi scale
Antoniadi scale
The Antoniadi scale is a system used by amateur astronomers to categorise the weather conditions when viewing the stars at night.- Invention :...
of seeing, which is commonly used by amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
s. He was also a strong chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player. His best result was equal first with Frank Marshall in a tournament in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1907, a point ahead of Savielly Tartakower
Savielly Tartakower
Ksawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
.
External links
- Edward WinterEdward Winter (chess historian)Edward Winter is an English journalist, archivist, historian, collector and author about the game of chess. He writes a regular column on that subject, Chess Notes, and is also a regular columnist for ChessBase.-Chess Notes:...
, A Chessplaying Astronomer (2002)