Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel was a German astronomer and mathematician in the 19th century, renowned for his precise measurements of star positions. His work improved our understanding of the distances to stars, helping to map our galaxy more accurately. Bessel developed methods to measure tiny angular shifts in stars, known as parallax, which allowed astronomers to determine how far away they are. His contributions laid the foundation for modern astrometry, the science of measuring celestial objects’ positions and movements, advancing our knowledge of the universe’s scale and structure.