Rudolf Ferdinand Spitaler

Rudolf Ferdinand Spitaler (7 January 1849 – 16 October 1946) was an Austrian astronomer, geophysicist, meteorologist and climatologist.^[1][2][3][4]

He discovered 64 IC objects whilst working at Vienna Observatory and Comet 113P/Spitaler.^[5]

He was one of the first to speculate the existence of a 13th zodiacal constellation, which later became known as Ophiuchus.

Selected works

• Zeichnungen und Photographien am Grubb’schen Refractor von 68cm (27 engl. Zoll) Öffnung in den Jahren 1885 bis 1890 (1891)
• Bahnbestimmung des Kometen 1851 III (Brorsen) (1894)
• Periodische Verschiebungen des Schwerpunktes der Erde (1905)
• Die Achsenschwankungen der Erde als Ursache der Auslösung von Erdbeben (1913)
• Das Klima des Eiszeitalters (1921)

References

1. Nachruf auf Professor Dr. Rudolf Spitaler. In: Meteorologische Rundschau. Bände 3–5, Springer, 1950
2. Zeitschrift für Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie. Band 2, Universitäts-Verlag Wagner, 1953, p. 151
3. J. Brabencová: "Spitaler Rudolf". In: Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Vol. 13, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1957–2005, p. 34 f. (Direct links to "p. 34", "p. 35")
4. Porträtgallerie der Astronomischen Gesellschaft. Hrsg. Astronomische Gesellschaft Deutschland. Tullberg, 1904, p. 57 (with photograph)
5. "Awards of the Comet-Medal of the ASP (1890-1896)". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. San Francisco. 9: 99. 1897. JSTOR 40671005. He won the Donohoe Comet Medal for his November 1890 discovery of the comet now known as 113P/Spitaler.

External links

• Literature by and about Rudolf Spitaler in the German National Library catalogue
• publications by R. Spitaler in Astrophysics Data System