Boris Vasilyevich Numerov (; January 29, 1891—September 1941) was a Russian

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 ...

, land-surveyor and

geophysicist Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and properties of Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. Geophysicists conduct investigations acros ...

. Born in

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

and graduated from the

St. Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...

in 1913, he created various astronomic and mineralogical instruments, as well as various algorithms and methods that bear his name. He was a member of the Academy of Sciences, observer at

Pulkovo Pulkovo may refer to: *Pulkovo Heights marking the southern limit of Saint Petersburg, Russia *Pulkovo Airport serving Saint Petersburg, Russia * Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise, a former (until 2006) state airline based in Saint Petersburg, Russia *Pu ...

from 1913 to 1915, astronomer at the observatory of the University of Leningrad from 1915 to 1925, director of the Central Observatory of Geophysics (1926–27), and Professor at the University of Leningrad (1924–1937). He was also the founder and director of the ''Institute for Theoretical Astronomy'' in Leningrad. In 1936, Numerov visited Wallace Eckert's lab to learn how punched-card equipment might be applied to "stellar research" in his own lab at St. Petersburg University. In October 1936, he was arrested and then sentenced to 10 years hard labour (this was part of "the Pulkovo persecutions", when many astronomers suffered repressions). Russian Wiki He had been accused of being a spy in the pay of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The basis of this accusation rested on the fact that German astronomers had named an

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

after him (also see 1206 Numerowia). It is believed that he was executed along with other political prisoners in September 1941 at the

Oryol Prison The Oryol Prison has been a prison in Oryol since the 19th century. It was a notable place of incarceration for political prisoners and war prisoners of the Second World War. The building of prison, built in 1840, is one of the oldest building ...

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

, Russia, before city's surrender to Nazi Germany. In 1957, his memory was rehabilitated. The lunar crater '' Numerov'' and the minor planet 1206 Numerowia, discovered by the German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in Heidelberg in 1931, were named in his honour.

References

External links

* Gérard Sookahet, ''La Méthode de Numerov pour Résoudre les Equations Différentielles du 2nd Ordre''
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1891 births 1941 deaths Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Great Purge victims from Russia Russian astronomers Russian inventors Soviet rehabilitations {{Russia-scientist-stub