Nicole-Reine Lepaute
Encyclopedia
Nicole-Reine Lepaute, née
Étable (5 January 1723 – 6 December 1788), was a French
astronomer
and mathematician
. She predicted the return of Halley's Comet, calculated the timing of a solar eclipse
and constructed a group of catalogs for the stars. She was a member of the Scientific Academy of Beziéres.
in Paris as the daughter of Jean Etable, valet in the service of Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans. In 1749, she married Jean André Lepaute, who was a royal clockmaker
. Nicole Lepaute constructed a clock with an astronomical function together with her spouse. The clock was constructed on her suggestion, and she also participated in its construction. The clock was presented to the French Academy of Science in 1753, were it was inspected and approved by Jérôme Lalande
.
Jérôme Lalande
recommended her along with the mathematician Alexis Clairault
to calculate the predicted return of Halley's Comet, as well as to calculate the attraction of Jupiter
and Saturn
of the Halley's comet. In november 1758, the team presented their conclusion that the comet was to arive in 13 April 1759. They were almost correct, as the comet arived the 13 March 1759. Clairault did not recognize her work at all in his work, which upset Lalande. Jérôme Lalande acknowledged her help in an article.
In 1759, she was again a part of Jérôme Lalande's team and worked with him to calculate the Ephemeris
of the Transit of Venus
. It is not documented what should be contributed to her personally, but in 1761, she was acknowledged by being inducted as an honorary member of the distinguished Scientific Academy of Beziéres.
In 1762 Lepaute calculated the exact time of a coming solar eclipse
in 1 April 1764. She wrote an article in which she gave a map of the eclipse's extent in 15-minute intervals across Europe
. The article was published in Connaissance des temps (Knowledge of the times).
Lepaute also created a group of catalogs of the stars which were useful for the future of astronomy. She calculated the Ephemeris of the Sun, the Moon and the Planets for the years 1774-1784.
Nicole Lepaute took care of her terminally ill husband from 1767 until his death in 1774, after which her own health was also severely damaged. She adopted her husband's nephew, Joseph Lepaute Dagelet, future member of the French Academy of Science, in 1768.
7720 Lepaute
is named in her honour, as is the lunar crater Lepaute
.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Étable (5 January 1723 – 6 December 1788), was a French
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...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. She predicted the return of Halley's Comet, calculated the timing of a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
and constructed a group of catalogs for the stars. She was a member of the Scientific Academy of Beziéres.
Biography
Nicole-Reine Lepaute was born in the Luxembourg PalaceLuxembourg Palace
The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden , is the seat of the French Senate.The formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model...
in Paris as the daughter of Jean Etable, valet in the service of Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans. In 1749, she married Jean André Lepaute, who was a royal clockmaker
Clockmaker
A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches...
. Nicole Lepaute constructed a clock with an astronomical function together with her spouse. The clock was constructed on her suggestion, and she also participated in its construction. The clock was presented to the French Academy of Science in 1753, were it was inspected and approved by Jérôme Lalande
Jérôme Lalande
Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande was a French astronomer and writer.-Biography:Lalande was born at Bourg-en-Bresse...
.
Jérôme Lalande
Jérôme Lalande
Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande was a French astronomer and writer.-Biography:Lalande was born at Bourg-en-Bresse...
recommended her along with the mathematician Alexis Clairault
Alexis Clairault
Alexis Claude de Clairaut was a prominent French mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, and intellectual.-Childhood:Clairaut was born in Paris, France, where his father taught mathematics...
to calculate the predicted return of Halley's Comet, as well as to calculate the attraction of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
and Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
of the Halley's comet. In november 1758, the team presented their conclusion that the comet was to arive in 13 April 1759. They were almost correct, as the comet arived the 13 March 1759. Clairault did not recognize her work at all in his work, which upset Lalande. Jérôme Lalande acknowledged her help in an article.
In 1759, she was again a part of Jérôme Lalande's team and worked with him to calculate the Ephemeris
Ephemeris
An ephemeris is a table of values that gives the positions of astronomical objects in the sky at a given time or times. Different kinds of ephemerides are used for astronomy and astrology...
of the Transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
. It is not documented what should be contributed to her personally, but in 1761, she was acknowledged by being inducted as an honorary member of the distinguished Scientific Academy of Beziéres.
In 1762 Lepaute calculated the exact time of a coming solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
in 1 April 1764. She wrote an article in which she gave a map of the eclipse's extent in 15-minute intervals across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The article was published in Connaissance des temps (Knowledge of the times).
Lepaute also created a group of catalogs of the stars which were useful for the future of astronomy. She calculated the Ephemeris of the Sun, the Moon and the Planets for the years 1774-1784.
Nicole Lepaute took care of her terminally ill husband from 1767 until his death in 1774, after which her own health was also severely damaged. She adopted her husband's nephew, Joseph Lepaute Dagelet, future member of the French Academy of Science, in 1768.
Legacy
The asteroidAsteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
7720 Lepaute
7720 Lepaute
7720 Lepaute is an outer main-belt asteroid discovered on September 26, 1960 by Cornelis Johannes van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory.- External links :*...
is named in her honour, as is the lunar crater Lepaute
Lepaute (crater)
Lepaute is a small lunar crater that is located along the western edge of the Palus Epidemiarum, a minor lunar mare in the southwestern part of the Moon's near side. To the east is the larger crater Ramsden, within a system of rilles named the Rimae Ramsden. This is an elongated crater feature that...
.