John M. Thome
Encyclopedia
John Macon Thome was an American-Argentine
astronomer
. Some sources say John Macom Thome. He is sometimes known as Juan M. Thome.
He was born in Palmyra, Pennsylvania
and attended Lehigh University
.
He came to the Argentine National Observatory (today Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba) in 1870, working as the senior assistant of the director Benjamin A. Gould. He succeeded Gould as director in 1885.
Under his initiative, the Cordoba Durchmusterung star catalogue
began to be compiled in 1892, although he did not live to see its completion.
He won the Lalande Prize
for astronomy from the French Academy of Sciences
in 1901. Thome died in Córdoba
and was succeeded as director of the observatory by Charles Dillon Perrine
.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
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...
. Some sources say John Macom Thome. He is sometimes known as Juan M. Thome.
He was born in Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Palmyra is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,096 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palmyra is located at ....
and attended Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
.
He came to the Argentine National Observatory (today Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba) in 1870, working as the senior assistant of the director Benjamin A. Gould. He succeeded Gould as director in 1885.
Under his initiative, the Cordoba Durchmusterung star catalogue
Star catalogue
A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an astronomical catalogue that lists stars. In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. There are a great many different star catalogues which have been produced for different purposes over the years, and this article covers only some...
began to be compiled in 1892, although he did not live to see its completion.
He won the Lalande Prize
Lalande Prize
The Lalande Prize was an award for scientific advances in astronomy, given from 1802 through 1970 by the French Academy of Sciences.The prize was named for, and endowed by, astronomer Jérôme Lalande in 1801...
for astronomy from the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
in 1901. Thome died in Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
and was succeeded as director of the observatory by Charles Dillon Perrine
Charles Dillon Perrine
Charles Dillon Perrine was an American astronomer living in Argentina.Born in Steubenville, Ohio, a son of Peter and Elizabeth McCauley Perrine, and a descendant of Daniel Perrin, "The Huguenot", he worked at Lick Observatory from 1893 to 1909 and then was director of the Argentine National...
.