Max Wolf

German astrophotography pioneer (1863–1932)

For the American Olympic gymnast, see Max Wolf (gymnast).

Max Wolf

Max Wolf

Born|

Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf

(1863-06-21)21 June 1863

Heidelberg, Grand Duchy of Baden

Died| 3 October 1932(1932-10-03) (aged 69)

Heidelberg, Germany

Nationality| German
Alma mater| University of Heidelberg
Known for| Astrophotography
Awards| Bruce Medal (1930)
Scientific career
Fields| Astronomy
Institutions| University of Heidelberg
Doctoral advisor| Leo Königsberger
Doctoral students| August Kopff
Heinrich Vogt
Minor planets discovered: 248 [1] see § List of discovered minor planets

Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory from 1902 until his death in 1932.

## Early life

[edit]

Max Wolf was born in Heidelberg, Germany on 21 June 1863, the son of medical doctor Franz Wolf. His father encouraged an interest in science and built an observatory for his son in the garden of the family home. It is from here that Wolf was credited with his first astronomical discovery, comet 14P/Wolf, in 1884.[2]

## Life at the university

[edit]

Wolf attended his local university and, in 1888, at the age of 25, was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Heidelberg. He spent one year of post-graduate study in Stockholm, the only significant time he would spend outside of Heidelberg in his life. He returned to the University of Heidelberg and accepted the position of privat-docent in 1890. A popular lecturer in astronomy, he declined offers of positions from other institutions. In 1902 he was appointed Chair of Astronomy and Director of the new Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl observatory, positions he would hold until his death in 1932.[3]

The Bruce double astrograph at Heidelberg Observatory

While the new observatory was being built Wolf was appointed to supervise the construction and outfitting of the astrophysics half of the observatory. He proved to be not only a capable supervisor but also a successful fundraiser. When sent to America to study the construction of the large new telescopes being built there he returned not only with telescope plans but also with a grant of $10,000 from the American philanthropist Catherine Wolfe Bruce. Wolf immediately designed and ordered a double refractor telescope from American astronomer and instrument builder John Brashear. This instrument, known as the Bruce double-astrograph, with parallel 16 in (41 cm) lenses and a fast f/5 focal ratio, became the observatory's primary research telescope. Wolf also raised money for a 28 in (71 cm) reflector telescope, the first for the observatory, used for spectroscopy.[4]

In 1910 Wolf proposed to the Carl Zeiss optics firm the creation of a new instrument which would become known as the planetarium. World War I intervened before the invention could be developed, but the Carl Zeiss company resumed this project after peace was restored. The first official public showing was at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany on 21 October 1923.[5]

During his trip to America Wolf was interested in learning more about the relatively new field of astrophotography. He met the American astronomer and astrophotographer E.E. Barnard, and the two became lifelong correspondents, competitors, collaborators and friends. Wolf wrote a long obituary for Barnard upon his death in 1923.[6]

## Later life and death

[edit]

Heidelberg University became well known for astronomy under Wolf's leadership. Wolf himself was an active researcher, contributing numerous papers in many areas of astronomy up to the end of his life. He died in Heidelberg on 3 October 1932, at the age of 69. He was survived by his widow and three sons.[2]

## Comets and novae

[edit]

Wolf started his career as a comet hunter and continued to discover them throughout his life. He discovered or co-discovered several comets, including 14P/Wolf and 43P/Wolf-Harrington. Wolf won a competition with E. E. Barnard on who would be the first to observe the return of Halley's Comet (P1/Halley) in April 1910.[4]

He discovered Nova Aquilae 1927, a classical nova.

He discovered or co-discovered four supernovae: SN 1895A (a.k.a. VW Vir), SN 1909A (a.k.a. SS UMa), SN 1920A, and, with Reinmuth, SN 1926A.

## Dark nebulae

[edit]

One of the many significant contributions Wolf made was in the determination of the nature of dark nebulae. These areas of the sky, thought since William Herschel's time to be "holes in the sky", were a puzzle to astronomers of the time. In collaboration with E. E. Barnard, Wolf proved, by careful photographic analysis, that dark nebulae were huge clouds of fine opaque dust.[4]

## Star catalog

[edit]

Along with E. E. Barnard, Wolf applied astrophotography to the observation of stars. The Bruce double-astrograph was originally designed to hunt dim asteroids but it was found to be ideally suited for the study of the proper motion of low-luminosity stars using much the same technique. In 1919 Wolf published a catalog of the locations of over one thousand stars along with their measured proper motion. These stars are still commonly identified by his name and catalog number.[7] Among the stars he discovered is Wolf 359, a dim red dwarf that was later found to be one of the nearest stars to the Solar System.[8] He continued to add proper motion star discoveries to this catalog throughout his life, with the catalog eventually totaling over 1500 stars, many more than all of his competitors combined.[9] These stars are significant because stars with low luminosity and high proper motion, such as Barnard's Star and Wolf 359, are usually relatively close to the Earth and thus the stars in Wolf's catalog remain popular subjects for astronomical research. The methods used by E. E. Barnard and Wolf were continued by Frank Elmore Ross and George Van Biesbroeck through the mid-20th century. Since that time photographic plates have been gradually replaced with more sensitive electronic photodetectors for astronomical surveys.[citation needed]

## Asteroids

[edit]

See also: Category:Discoveries by Max Wolf

In 1891, Wolf discovered his first asteroid, 323 Brucia, and named it after Catherine Wolfe Bruce.[10] He pioneered the use of astrophotographic techniques to automate the discovery of asteroids, as opposed to older visual methods, as a result of which asteroid discovery rates sharply increased.[2] In time-exposure photographs, asteroids appear as short streaks due to their planetary motion with respect to fixed stars. Wolf discovered 248 asteroids in his lifetime.[11]

Among his many discoveries was 588 Achilles (the first Trojan asteroid) in 1906, as well as two other Trojans: 659 Nestor and 884 Priamus.[12] He also discovered 887 Alinda in 1918, which is now recognized as an Earth-crossing Amor asteroid (or sometimes classified as the namesake of its own Alinda family).[13] Wolf's then-record number of discoveries was surpassed by his pupil Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth on 24 July 1933.[citation needed]

### List of discovered minor planets

[edit]

Source: "Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 31 May 2019.

323 Brucia | 22 December 1891 | list

|
|

325 Heidelberga | 4 March 1892 | list
328 Gudrun | 18 March 1892 | list
329 Svea | 21 March 1892 | list
330 Adalberta | 2 February 1910 | list
332 Siri | 19 March 1892 | list
333 Badenia | 22 August 1892 | list
334 Chicago | 23 August 1892 | list
339 Dorothea | 25 September 1892 | list
340 Eduarda | 25 September 1892 | list
341 California | 25 September 1892 | list
342 Endymion | 17 October 1892 | list
343 Ostara | 15 November 1892 | list
351 Yrsa | 16 December 1892 | list
352 Gisela | 12 January 1893 | list
353 Ruperto-Carola | 16 January 1893 | list
385 Ilmatar | 1 March 1894 | list
386 Siegena | 1 March 1894 | list
391 Ingeborg | 1 November 1894 | list
392 Wilhelmina | 4 November 1894 | list
393 Lampetia | 4 November 1894 | list

|
|

399 Persephone | 23 February 1895 | list
401 Ottilia | 16 March 1895 | list
407 Arachne | 13 October 1895 | list
408 Fama | 13 October 1895 | list
412 Elisabetha | 7 January 1896 | list
413 Edburga | 7 January 1896 | list
415 Palatia | 7 February 1896 | list
417 Suevia | 6 May 1896 | list
418 Alemannia | 7 September 1896 | list
419 Aurelia | 7 September 1896 | list
420 Bertholda | 7 September 1896 | list
421 Zahringia | 7 September 1896 | list
434 Hungaria | 11 September 1898 | list
435 Ella | 11 September 1898 | list [A]
436 Patricia | 13 September 1898 | list [A]
442 Eichsfeldia | 15 February 1899 | list [A]
443 Photographica | 17 February 1899 | list [A]
446 Aeternitas | 27 October 1899 | list [A]
447 Valentine | 27 October 1899 | list [A]
448 Natalie | 27 October 1899 | list [A]

|
|

449 Hamburga | 31 October 1899 | list [A]
450 Brigitta | 10 October 1899 | list [A]
455 Bruchsalia | 22 May 1900 | list [A]
456 Abnoba | 4 June 1900 | list [A]
457 Alleghenia | 15 September 1900 | list [A]
458 Hercynia | 21 September 1900 | list [A]
459 Signe | 22 October 1900 | list
460 Scania | 22 October 1900 | list
461 Saskia | 22 October 1900 | list
462 Eriphyla | 22 October 1900 | list
463 Lola | 31 October 1900 | list
464 Megaira | 9 January 1901 | list
465 Alekto | 13 January 1901 | list
466 Tisiphone | 17 January 1901 | list [B]
467 Laura | 9 January 1901 | list
468 Lina | 18 January 1901 | list
471 Papagena | 7 June 1901 | list
473 Nolli | 13 February 1901 | list
474 Prudentia | 13 February 1901 | list
480 Hansa | 21 May 1901 | list [B]

|
|

482 Petrina | 3 March 1902 | list
483 Seppina | 4 March 1902 | list
484 Pittsburghia | 29 April 1902 | list
488 Kreusa | 26 June 1902 | list [B]
490 Veritas | 3 September 1902 | list
491 Carina | 3 September 1902 | list
492 Gismonda | 3 September 1902 | list
493 Griseldis | 7 September 1902 | list
494 Virtus | 7 October 1902 | list
495 Eulalia | 25 October 1902 | list
496 Gryphia | 25 October 1902 | list
499 Venusia | 24 December 1902 | list
500 Selinur | 16 January 1903 | list
501 Urhixidur | 18 January 1903 | list
502 Sigune | 19 January 1903 | list
509 Iolanda | 28 April 1903 | list
512 Taurinensis | 23 June 1903 | list
513 Centesima | 24 August 1903 | list
514 Armida | 24 August 1903 | list
515 Athalia | 20 September 1903 | list

|
|

520 Franziska | 27 October 1903 | list [C]
522 Helga | 10 January 1904 | list
524 Fidelio | 14 March 1904 | list
526 Jena | 14 March 1904 | list
527 Euryanthe | 20 March 1904 | list
528 Rezia | 20 March 1904 | list
529 Preziosa | 20 March 1904 | list
530 Turandot | 11 April 1904 | list
531 Zerlina | 12 April 1904 | list
532 Herculina | 20 April 1904 | list
539 Pamina | 2 August 1904 | list
540 Rosamunde | 3 August 1904 | list
541 Deborah | 4 August 1904 | list
549 Jessonda | 15 November 1904 | list
550 Senta | 16 November 1904 | list
551 Ortrud | 16 November 1904 | list
552 Sigelinde | 14 December 1904 | list
553 Kundry | 27 December 1904 | list
555 Norma | 14 January 1905 | list
557 Violetta | 26 January 1905 | list

|
|

558 Carmen | 9 February 1905 | list
559 Nanon | 8 March 1905 | list
560 Delila | 13 March 1905 | list
561 Ingwelde | 26 March 1905 | list
562 Salome | 3 April 1905 | list
565 Marbachia | 9 May 1905 | list
570 Kythera | 30 July 1905 | list
573 Recha | 19 September 1905 | list
574 Reginhild | 19 September 1905 | list
575 Renate | 19 September 1905 | list
577 Rhea | 20 October 1905 | list
578 Happelia | 1 November 1905 | list
580 Selene | 17 December 1905 | list
586 Thekla | 21 February 1906 | list
587 Hypsipyle | 22 February 1906 | list
588 Achilles | 22 February 1906 | list
590 Tomyris | 4 March 1906 | list
592 Bathseba | 18 March 1906 | list
594 Mireille | 27 March 1906 | list
597 Bandusia | 16 April 1906 | list

|
|

598 Octavia | 13 April 1906 | list
601 Nerthus | 21 June 1906 | list
605 Juvisia | 27 August 1906 | list
609 Fulvia | 24 September 1906 | list
610 Valeska | 26 September 1906 | list
641 Agnes | 8 September 1907 | list
642 Clara | 8 September 1907 | list
659 Nestor | 23 March 1908 | list
683 Lanzia | 23 July 1909 | list
692 Hippodamia | 5 November 1901 | list [D]
707 Steina | 22 December 1910 | list
712 Boliviana | 19 March 1911 | list
733 Mocia | 16 September 1912 | list
798 Ruth | 21 November 1914 | list
800 Kressmannia | 20 March 1915 | list
801 Helwerthia | 20 March 1915 | list
802 Epyaxa | 20 March 1915 | list
805 Hormuthia | 17 April 1915 | list
806 Gyldenia | 18 April 1915 | list
807 Ceraskia | 18 April 1915 | list

|
|

809 Lundia | 11 August 1915 | list
810 Atossa | 8 September 1915 | list
811 Nauheima | 8 September 1915 | list
813 Baumeia | 28 November 1915 | list
815 Coppelia | 2 February 1916 | list
816 Juliana | 8 February 1916 | list
817 Annika | 6 February 1916 | list
818 Kapteynia | 21 February 1916 | list
819 Barnardiana | 3 March 1916 | list
820 Adriana | 30 March 1916 | list
821 Fanny | 31 March 1916 | list
822 Lalage | 31 March 1916 | list
823 Sisigambis | 31 March 1916 | list
826 Henrika | 28 April 1916 | list
831 Stateira | 20 September 1916 | list
832 Karin | 20 September 1916 | list
833 Monica | 20 September 1916 | list
834 Burnhamia | 20 September 1916 | list
835 Olivia | 23 September 1916 | list
836 Jole | 23 September 1916 | list

|
|

837 Schwarzschilda | 23 September 1916 | list
838 Seraphina | 24 September 1916 | list
839 Valborg | 24 September 1916 | list
840 Zenobia | 25 September 1916 | list
841 Arabella | 1 October 1916 | list
842 Kerstin | 1 October 1916 | list
845 Naema | 16 November 1916 | list
860 Ursina | 22 January 1917 | list
861 Aida | 22 January 1917 | list
862 Franzia | 28 January 1917 | list
863 Benkoela | 9 February 1917 | list
865 Zubaida | 15 February 1917 | list
866 Fatme | 25 February 1917 | list
868 Lova | 26 April 1917 | list
870 Manto | 12 May 1917 | list
871 Amneris | 14 May 1917 | list
872 Holda | 21 May 1917 | list
873 Mechthild | 21 May 1917 | list
874 Rotraut | 25 May 1917 | list
875 Nymphe | 19 May 1917 | list

|
|

879 Ricarda | 22 July 1917 | list
880 Herba | 22 July 1917 | list
881 Athene | 22 July 1917 | list
883 Matterania | 14 September 1917 | list
884 Priamus | 22 September 1917 | list
887 Alinda | 3 January 1918 | list
888 Parysatis | 2 February 1918 | list
889 Erynia | 5 March 1918 | list
890 Waltraut | 11 March 1918 | list
891 Gunhild | 17 May 1918 | list
892 Seeligeria | 31 May 1918 | list
893 Leopoldina | 31 May 1918 | list
894 Erda | 4 June 1918 | list
895 Helio | 11 July 1918 | list
896 Sphinx | 1 August 1918 | list
897 Lysistrata | 3 August 1918 | list
898 Hildegard | 3 August 1918 | list
899 Jokaste | 3 August 1918 | list
900 Rosalinde | 10 August 1918 | list
901 Brunsia | 30 August 1918 | list

|
|

904 Rockefellia | 29 October 1918 | list
907 Rhoda | 12 November 1918 | list
908 Buda | 30 November 1918 | list
914 Palisana | 4 July 1919 | list
919 Ilsebill | 30 October 1918 | list
927 Ratisbona | 16 February 1920 | list
946 Poësia | 11 February 1921 | list
949 Hel | 11 March 1921 | list
972 Cohnia | 18 January 1922 | list
1008 La Paz | 31 October 1923 | list
1021 Flammario | 11 March 1924 | list
1038 Tuckia | 24 November 1924 | list
1039 Sonneberga | 24 November 1924 | list
1053 Vigdis | 16 November 1925 | list
1069 Planckia | 28 January 1927 | list
1134 Kepler | 25 September 1929 | list
1141 Bohmia | 4 January 1930 | list
1169 Alwine | 30 August 1930 | list [E]
1178 Irmela | 13 March 1931 | list
1179 Mally | 19 March 1931 | list

|
|

1203 Nanna | 5 October 1931 | list
1214 Richilde | 1 January 1932 | list
1219 Britta | 6 February 1932 | list
1365 Henyey | 9 September 1928 | list
1514 Ricouxa | 22 August 1906 | list
1661 Granule | 31 March 1916 | list
1703 Barry | 2 September 1930 | list
1967 Menzel | 1 November 1905 | list
2017 Wesson | 20 September 1903 | list
2119 Schwall | 30 August 1930 | list [E]
2298 Cindijon | 2 October 1915 | list
2373 Immo | 4 August 1929 | list
2443 Tomeileen | 24 January 1906 | list
2483 Guinevere | 17 August 1928 | list
2533 Fechtig | 3 November 1905 | list
2650 Elinor | 14 March 1931 | list
2732 Witt | 19 March 1926 | list
3034 Climenhaga | 24 September 1917 | list
3202 Graff | 3 January 1908 | list
3396 Muazzez | 15 October 1915 | list

|
|

3626 Ohsaki | 4 August 1929 | list
3907 Kilmartin | 14 August 1904 | list
4588 Wislicenus | 13 March 1931 | list
4775 Hansen | 3 October 1927 | list
4809 Robertball | 5 September 1928 | list
5702 Morando | 16 March 1931 | list
5926 Schönfeld | 4 August 1929 | list
Co-discovery made with:
A A. Schwassmann
B L. Carnera
C P. Götz
D A. Kopff
E M. Ferrero

## Awards and honors

[edit]

* Prix Jules Janssen, the highest award of the Société astronomique de France, the French astronomical society, in 1912.[14]
* Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1914.[15]
* Bruce Medal in 1930.[16]

The lunar crater Wolf[17] as well as the main-belt asteroids 827 Wolfiana and 1217 Maximiliana were named in his honor.[18][19]

Minor planet 1152 Pawona is named after both Johann Palisa and Max Wolf, in recognition of their cooperation. The name was proposed by Swedish astronomer Bror Ansgar Asplind. Pawona is a combination of "Palisa" and "Wolf" (Pa, Wo) joined with a Latin feminine suffix.[20]

## Other astronomers named Wolf

[edit]

* Marek Wolf, a Czech astronomer who is also a discoverer of minor planets. He is credited as "M. Wolf" by the Minor Planet Center, while the discoveries by Max Wolf are credited with "M. F. Wolf".
* Charles Wolf, a French astronomer and co-discoverer of the Wolf-Rayet stars.
* German astronomers Christian Wolf and Ulrich Wolff (amateur from Berlin), as well as American astronomer Chris Wolfe have also discovered minor planets.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
2. ^ a b c MacPherson, H. (1932). "Obituary: Max Wolf". The Observatory. 55: 355–359. Bibcode:1932Obs....55..355M.
3. ^ "Obituary Notices: Associates:- Wolf, Max". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 93 (4): 236. February 1933. Bibcode:1933MNRAS..93..236.. doi:10.1093/mnras/93.4.236.
4. ^ a b c Tenn, Joseph S. (1994). "Max Wolf: The Twenty-Fifth Bruce Medalist" (PDF). Mercury. 23 (4): 27–28. Bibcode:1994Mercu..23d..27T. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
5. ^ Chartrand, Mark (September 1973). "A Fifty Year Anniversary of a Two Thousand Year Dream (The History of the Planetarium)". The Planetarian. Vol. 2, no. 3\. International Planetarium Society. ISSN 0090-3213. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
6. ^ Wolf, M. (April 1923). "Anzeige des Todes von Edward Emerson Barnard". Astronomische Nachrichten (in German). 218 (16): 241–248. Bibcode:1923AN....218..241W. doi:10.1002/asna.19232181602.
7. ^ Wolf, M. (1919). "Katalog von 1053 staerker bewegten Fixsternen". Veroeffentlichungen der Badischen Sternwarte zu Heidelberg (in German). 7 (10): 195–219. Bibcode:1919VeHei...7..195W.
8. ^ Wolf, M. (July 1917). "Eigenbewegungssterne". Astronomische Nachrichten (in German). 204 (20): 345. Bibcode:1917AN....204..345W. doi:10.1002/asna.19172042002.
9. ^ "Wolf". Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
10. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(323) Brucia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 42. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_324. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
11. ^ Hughes, Stefan (2012). Catchers of the Light: The Forgotten Lives of the Men and Women Who First Photographed the Heavens. ArtDeCiel Publishing. p. 398\. ISBN 9781620509616.
12. ^ Nicholson, Seth B. (1961). "The Trojan asteroids". Astronomical Society of the Pacific Leaflets. 8 (381): 239–46. Bibcode:1961ASPL....8..239N.
13. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(323) Brucia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 80. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_324. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
14. ^ S. A. F (1979). "Prix et Médailles décernés par la Société depuis sa fondation". L'Astronomie. 93: 543. Bibcode:1979LAstr..93..543S.
15. ^ "Gold Medal Winners" (PDF). RAS. 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
16. ^ "Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal". Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
17. ^ "Max Wolf". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
18. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(827) Wolfiana". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 76\. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_828. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
19. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1217) Maximiliana". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 101\. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1218. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
20. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1152) Pawona". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 97\. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1153. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Max Wolf.

* Max Wolf at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
* The Bruce Medalists Archived 2017-06-07 at the Wayback Machine

### Obituaries

[edit]

* MacPherson, Hector, Observatory 55, 355–359 (1932)
* Reynolds, J.H., MNRAS 93, 236–238 (1933)

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