Antonín Rükl

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Antonín Rükl (born 1932) is an astronomer, cartographer, and author from the Czech Republic.

He was born in Cáslav, Czechoslovakia. As a student he developed what was to be a life-long interest in Astronomy. He graduated from the Czech Technical University in 1956, then became a staff member of the astronomical department in the Prague Institute of Geodesy.

Beginning in 1960 he joined the Prague Planetarium, eventually becoming deputy directory and then head. He also became chairman of the Planetary Section of the Czechoslovak Astronomical Society. He also served as vice president of the International Planetarium Directors Conference from 1996 until 1999. He retired at the end of 1999.

During his career he was a popularizer of astronomy and authored many books on the subject. He is skilled in cartography as well as selenography, the skill of mapping the Moon. He illustrates many of his own books, including the highly regarded "Atlas of the Moon".

He is married to his wife Sonja, and they have a daughter Jane and son Mike.

[edit] Bibliography

Incomplete list:

• Atlas of the Moon, 2004, Sky Publishing Corp, ISBN 1-931559-07-4.
• The Constellation Guide Book, 2000, ISBN 0806939796.
• Moon, Mars and Venus, Reed Dump, 1976, ISBN 0600362191.
• The Amateur Astronomer, Gallery Books, 1985, ISBN 0831702958.
• Hamlyn Atlas of the Moon, Hamlyn, 1991, ISBN 0600571904.
• A Guide to the Stars, Constellations and Planets, Caxton Editions, 2000, ISBN 1840670509.
• Maps of Lunar Hemispheres, 1:10000000, D. Reidel, Dordrecht, 1972.
• Skeleton Map of the Moon, 1:6000000, Central Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Prague, 1965.
• The Constellations.
• The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Stars and Planets, The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, Prague, 1988. ISBN 0600551512.
• Maps of Lunar Hemispheres