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Anders Celsius

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Anders Celsius was a highly influential Swedish scientist.

Headshot of Anders Celsius
Headshot of Anders Celsius

He worked as an astronomer, physicist, and mathematician. He was a professor of astronomy at Uppsala University from 1730 to 1744. His work helped humans understand the shape of the Earth and the nature of light in the sky. He is most famous for creating a way to measure temperature. This scale is now used all over the world.

Celsius came from a family deeply rooted in science.

AndersCelsiusyoung
AndersCelsiusyoung

His father, Nils Celsius, was an astronomy professor. His uncle, Olof Celsius, was a botanist. His grandfather, Magnus Celsius, was a mathematician. Even his other uncle, Johan Celsius, was a famous poet and actor. This scientific background led Anders to study at Uppsala University. He became a professor there in 1730. His family name, Celsius, actually comes from a Latin word for a mound.

Gamla uppsala kyrka
Gamla uppsala kyrka

One of his most important discoveries involved the aurora borealis. These are the colorful lights seen in the northern skies. Celsius worked with his assistant, Olof Hiorter, to study these phenomena. He noticed that the lights were connected to the Earth's magnetic field. He observed how a compass needle would move or deflect. He found that larger movements in the needle happened during strong auroral activity. In 1733, he published 316 observations of these lights. These records covered the years between 1716 and 1732.

Crab Nebula
Crab Nebula

Celsius also helped prove how the Earth is shaped. In 1736, he joined a French expedition led by Pierre Louis Maupertuis. They traveled to Lapland to measure a degree of latitude. This means they measured a specific distance near the North Pole. They compared these results to measurements taken in Peru near the equator. The data confirmed a theory by Isaac Newton. It showed the Earth is an ellipsoid. An ellipsoid is a shape that is slightly flattened at the poles.

Earth-moon
Earth-moon

His research led to the creation of new scientific institutions. In 1741, he founded the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory. He used modern instruments that he purchased during his travels through Germany, Italy, and France. He also helped start the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1739. He actually suggested the name for this academy. He served as the secretary of the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala. He held this position until he died from tuberculosis in 1744.

UppsalaCelsiusObservatory Busser
UppsalaCelsiusObservatory Busser

In 1742, Celsius proposed a new way to measure heat. He presented this idea to the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala. His scale used the properties of water as fixed points. He set the boiling point of water at 0 degrees. He set the freezing point of water at 100 degrees. This was the opposite of how we use it today. In 1745, Carl Linnaeus reversed the scale. This change made it more practical for everyday use. Today, we call this the Celsius scale in honor of the scientist.

Celsius also made important observations about the land in Scandinavia. He was one of the first to notice a slow change in the geography. He saw that much of Scandinavia is slowly rising above sea level. This process has been happening since the ice from the last ice age melted. While he was right about the rising land, he was wrong about why it happened. He thought the water was evaporating. His work remains a vital part of how we study the history of our planet and the stars above us.

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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:Anders Celsius Signature.svg
Anders Celsius Signature.svg
File:RocketSunIcon.svg
RocketSunIcon.svg
File:Solar system.jpg
Solar system.jpg
File:Crab Nebula.jpg
Crab Nebula.jpg
File:Earth-moon.jpg
Earth-moon.jpg
File:Headshot of Anders Celsius.jpg
Headshot of Anders Celsius.jpg
File:Celsius, Anders – De novo in fluviis norlandiarum piscandi modo, 1738 – BEIC 8529648.jpg
Celsius, Anders – De novo in fluviis...
File:Gamla uppsala kyrka.jpg
Gamla uppsala kyrka.jpg
File:UppsalaCelsiusObservatory Busser.jpg
UppsalaCelsiusObservatory Busser.jpg
File:AndersCelsiusyoung.jpg
AndersCelsiusyoung.jpg
File:He1523a.jpg
He1523a.jpg
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