Johann Daniel Titius
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johann Daniel Titius (January 2, 1729 – December 11, 1796) was a German astronomer and a professor at Wittenberg.
He is best known for formulating the Titius-Bode law, and for using this rule to predict the existence of a celestial object at 2.8 AU from the sun. His suggestion that the object would necessarily be small was later superseded by the claim of Johann Elert Bode for a planet-like object, subsequently identified as being Ceres. In part because of the Titius-Bode law, the first four minor planets were at first labeled full-fledged planets. After a fifteen-year hiatus, other minor planets started to be discovered at steadily increasing rates, and Ceres and company were eventually relabeled "minor planets" or "asteroids". Because of its spherical shape, Ceres was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
The asteroid 1998 Titius and the Titius crater on the Moon are named in Titius' honour.
 |
This European astronomer-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 This article about a German scientist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
