Antonín Rükl (22 September 1932 – 12 July 2016) was a Czech

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

cartographer Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

, and author. He was born in Čáslav, Czechoslovakia. As a student, he developed what was to be a lifelong interest in

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

. He graduated from the Czech Technical University in 1956, then joined the staff of the astronomical department of the Institute of Geodesy in Prague. In 1960, he joined the Prague Planetarium, eventually becoming deputy director and then head. He also became chairman of the Planetary Section of the Czechoslovak Astronomical Society and served as vice president of the International Planetarium Directors Conference from 1996 until 1999. He retired at the end of 1999.Zemřel přední český astronom Antonín Rükl. Vědu o vesmíru chtěl přiblížit široké veřejnosti
rozhlas.cz (Czech) During his career, he was a popularizer of astronomy and authored many books on the subject. He was skilled in

cartography Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

and

selenography Selenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon (also known as geography of the Moon, or selenodesy). Like geography and areography, selenography is a subdiscipline within the field of planetary science. Historically, ...

, the skill of mapping the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

. He illustrated many of his own books, including the highly regarded ''Atlas of the Moon''.Ramotowski, Becky (2007) "Moon should be the star in coming nightly drama", ''

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'', 26 March 2007 He was married to Sonja. They had a daughter Jane and son Mike.

Bibliography

''Incomplete list:'' * ''Atlas of the Moon'', 2004, Sky Publishing Corp, . * ''The Constellation Guide Book'', 2000, . * ''Moon, Mars and Venus'', Reed Dump, 1976, . * ''The Amateur Astronomer'', Gallery Books, 1985, . * ''Hamlyn Atlas of the Moon'', Hamlyn, 1991, . * ''A Guide to the Stars, Constellations and Planets'', Caxton Editions, 2000, . * ''Maps of Lunar Hemispheres, 1:10000000'', D. Reidel, Dordrecht, 1972. * ''Skeleton Map of the Moon, 1:6000000'', Central Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Prague, 1965. * ''The Constellations''. * ''The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Stars and Planets'', The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, Prague, 1988. . * ''Maps of Lunar Hemispheres''

References

1932 births 2016 deaths Czech astronomers Selenographers People from Čáslav Czech Technical University in Prague alumni Czech science communicators {{Europe-astronomer-stub