Abstract
Although this is not the place or time for a comprehensive biography of Tobias Mayer, a short account of his–likewise short–life is desired here.1 My narrative is biased towards the facets of Mayer’s life (1723–1762) that are relevant to the current investigation of the development of his lunar tables. Therefore, almost everything related to the practical pursuit of astronomy is left out, including what pertains to instruments, observing, or the reduction of observations. On the other hand, this chapter contains several new results concerning the development of the lunar tables. These results are worked out in more detail in the ensuing chapters, to which I will refer where appropriate. The current chapter, devoid of most of the technical detail, may also serve as a backdrop against which the more technical topics in this book will fall into perspective.
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© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Wepster, S.A. (2010). The Pioneer’s Work. In: Between Theory and Observations. Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1314-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1314-2_3
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