Fernand Baldet
Encyclopedia
Fernand Baldet was a French
astronomer
.
He worked with Count Aymar de la Baume Pluvinel
observing Mars
from the newly built observatory
on Pic du Midi
in 1909. The resulting photographs were so sharp, that they were able to disprove Percival Lowell
's claim of geometrical canals on the planet's surface.
The crater
Baldet
on the Moon
and the crater Baldet on Mars were named in his honour.
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...
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...
.
He worked with Count Aymar de la Baume Pluvinel
Count Aymar de la Baume Pluvinel
Aymar de la Baume Pluvinel was a French astronomer and professor in the Grandes écoles SupOptique . He belonged to an old noble family, whose main character was Antoine de Pluvinel, King Louis XIII's master of equitation....
observing 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...
from the newly built observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
on Pic du Midi
Pic du Midi
Pic du Midi may refer to:*Pic du Midi de Bigorre - A mountain in the Frence Pyrenees famous for its astronomical observatory.*Pic du Midi d'Ossau - Another mountain in the Frence Pyrenees...
in 1909. The resulting photographs were so sharp, that they were able to disprove Percival Lowell
Percival Lowell
Percival Lawrence Lowell was a businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death...
's claim of geometrical canals on the planet's surface.
The crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
Baldet
Baldet (lunar crater)
Baldet is a lunar crater that is located on the southern hemisphere on the far side of the Moon. It lies in the lava-flooded region between the craters Cori to the north, Stoney to the southwest, and the worn walled plain Minkowski to the southeast....
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...
and the crater Baldet on Mars were named in his honour.