Christian Gärtner (6 May 1705 – 31 December 1782) was a German
telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...
maker and
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
, noted for his observation of the 1758 return of
Halley's Comet.
Gärtner was born at
Tolkewitz near
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
and even as a child had a passion for the stars. He earned his living as a cloth-bleacher and spent his income on astronomical equipment and books. Later, he learned to grind his own lenses and manufactured and sold telescopes.
In December 1758 (simultaneously with
Johann Georg Palitzsch
Johann Georg Palitzsch (11 June 1723 – 21 February 1788) was a German astronomer who became famous for recovering Comet 1P/Halley (better known as Halley's Comet) on Christmas Day, 1758.Hoffmann, Christian Gotthold (1759 January 20) "Nach ...
) Gärtner observed the return of
Halley's Comet, predicted by
Edmond Halley in 1705.
Gärtner died a pauper in 1782 and was buried in
Leuben
Leuben is a quarter and a borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') of the German city of Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most pop ...
cemetery.
Eponymy
Gärtner is commemorated by a
crater on the Moon and by
132445 Gaertner, an asteroid.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaertner, Christian
18th-century German astronomers
1705 births
1782 deaths