Johann Georg Palitzsch

Johann Georg Palitzsch (June 11 1723 – February 21 1788) was a German astronomer who became famous for discovering the Comet Halley on Christmas Day 1758. Growing up to a succesfull farmer under the strict regime of his stepfather, he learned in his spare time as much he could secretly out of some affordable books. Some fundamental contemporary astronomy delivered the book "Vorhof der Sternwissenschaft" by Christian Pescheck. He learned Latin and when he was 21 he inherited the farm and could manage to develope his own botanic garden, library, laboratory and museum.He found the right persons supporting him even upto the later King. But the wars between Prussia and Austria also disturbed his ambitions.

After his death on February 21, 1788 he left behind a library of 3518 books, partly handwritten copies he had created from scientific works too expensive for him to purchase.

A crater and a "vallis" (valley) on the Moon are named after him.

The asteroid 11970 Palitzsch also is named after him.

External links

* [http://web4.si.edu/sil/scientific-identity/by_name_display_results.cfm?scientist=Palitzsch,%20Johann%20Georg Photo]
* http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/Bios/palitzsch.html
* [http://www.prohlis-online.de/heimat-und-palitzschmuseum/ Homepage of the Palitzsch-Museum]