Fabricius Friedrich Wilhelm [Fabricius Basiliy Ivanovich] General data:
15.07.1845 - 13.04.1895
Place of birth: Vyborg city, Vyborg province, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Studied in: Imperial Alexander University in Helsingfors city(since 1917 Helsinki University, Finland) (1870);
Key interests: celestial mechanics, theoretical astronomy, minor bodies of the Solar System, observational astronomy, stellar catalogues, astronomy, positional astronomy. ScD Thesis: Critical start of the problem of determining orbits from three observations (1888 St. Petersburg Imperial University); ScD Thesis: The Beginning of Jibbs (1893 Imperial Kazan University);
Biography:
He was born on July 15, 1845 in Vyborg city of Vyborg Province of Grand Duchy of Finland of Russian Empire in the family of a teacher.
In 1870, William graduated from the Imperial Alexander University of Helsingfors , where he worked as an observer during 1869-1971.
In 1873, this university awarded him a master's degree and then a doctorate.
During 1871-1873 he worked as an assistant (junior observer) at the Bonn Observatory, where he was invited to participate in a large project which was observations of the so-called Argelander zones.
During 1873-1875 (according to other sources, 1874-1876) he worked as a computer scientist at the Pulkovo Observatory.
In 1874 he took part in a Pulkovo expedition to Persia to observe the passage of Venus in the disk of the Sun.
In the early 1870s, he developed a Finnish shorthand system based on the German systems of Gabelsberger and Stolze.
In 1879 he took part in the VI Congress of the Society of Natural Researchers in St. Petersburg City.
In 1888, at St. Petersburg Imperial University, he defended his master's thesis "Critical beginnings of the problem of determining the orbits of three observations."
In 1893 he defended his doctoral dissertation "The Beginning of Gibbs" at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Kazan Imperial University.
During 1875-1893 (according to other data during 1876-1894) he worked at the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory as an astronomer-observer and private associate professor at the University of the St. Vladimir Kyiv Imperial University. He conducted meridian observations of near-polar stars on the meridian circle at the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory. Within a radius of 6 degrees from the North Pole, he determined the coordinates of 30 so-called fundamental (reference) stars, each of which he observed an average of 20 times, and based on them later determined the coordinates of another 525 weaker stars. His catalog is included in the gold fund of world position data. He developed a new method of taking into account the errors of the meridian circle. He proposed to use the North Star as a natural meridian measure to control the orientation of the polar axis of the telescope. This so-called "Polaris method" has long been used in observational astronomy around the world.
He compiled formulas for accurately calculating the reduction to the middle of the visible positions of stars close to the pole. Several theoretical works of the scientist relate to the question of determining the orbits of planets and comets by three observations. He considered the number of solutions in determining orbits by the method of K. F. Gauss and A. V. Olbers. In Kiev City he improved the definition of an elliptical orbit by the Gaussian method, developed a new method for calculating orbits that could be applied not only to elliptical but also to parabolic orbits. A number of works concern theoretical astronomy.
At his baptism into the Orthodox faith, he acquired the name Visiliy Ivanovich, as evidenced by the Kyiv Spiritual Consistory.
In 1877, he and M. F. Khandrykov used the telegraph to link Kyiv City to the geodetic network of points. They determined the difference in longitudes, first of Kyiv City and Warsaw City, and in 1886 of Kyiv City and Odessa City, thus connecting Odessa to this network.
In the last years of his life, the astronomer began an interesting program of observing stars with large movements of their own. Having not worked a year before the established 25-year term, the scientist was forced to apply for a pension "for a reduced period".
Since 1884 until his last days he taught perspective at the Kiev School of Drawing.
He died on April 13, 1895.
Main publications:
1. Фабрициус В. О наблюдениях звезды Поляриссим. - К., 1989. - 112 с.
Sources:
1 Казанцева Л. В., Кислюк В. С. Київське вікно у Всесвіт: Історія Київської астрономічної обсерваторії в контексті історії розвитку національної та світової науки. — Київ: Наш час, 2006.—C.106-107,109-112
2 Астрономічна обсерваторія. Історія
3 Астрономическая обсерватория Киевского университета/Д. В. Пясковский, Н. А. Чернега//"Земля и Вселенная" N6, 1970г
4 ru.wikipedia.org
