Name Peter Ludwig Fields Astronomy, Geodesy Institution University of Tartu | Died September 29, 1894 Role Astronomer | |
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Born 4 June 1822
Danzig-Gdansk ( 1822-06-04 ) Institutions Imperial University of Dorpat Notable awards Konstantin Gold Medal
Demidov Prize (1865) | ||
Peter Carl Ludwig Schwarz (Julian, O.S.: 23 May 1822, Danzig-Gdańsk – 17 September 1894; Gregorian, N.S.: 4 June 1822 - 29 September 1894, St. George's?; Buried: Tartu) (referred to mostly as Ludwig Schwarz), was a Baltic German astronomer of Imperial Russia, explorer, and professor of astronomy at the University of Dorpat honored with the Konstantin Medal of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. Schwarz also was a recipient of the Demidov Prize of the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg in 1865 for his work in geodesy.
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Palaeoarctic Siberian Asia Expeditions
Following assignment by Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve as a field expedition astronomer (1849-1853) to study the Amur River, astronomer Schwarz led (1854-1862) the East Siberian Expedition of 1855 which extensively explored unknown and unmapped territory in Eastern Siberia.
The Siberian expedition went into central Asia, southeastern Asia, and northern China. Some of the routes travelled were as long as 10,000 miles. Utilizing his prior Amur field knowledge of astronomy he would determine geographical positions of certain points (geodesy) for preparation of geographical maps. The information would later be used in planning the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway systems and others in southeast Asia.
The volumes reporting the results of the expedition were published in 1864. The separate tomes concerning the vegetation and wildlife reports were prepared by the expedition's botanist and zoologist Gustav Radde.
Dorpat Observatory
Ludwig Schwarz served as the Director of Dorpat Observatory (now Tartu Observatory) from 1872 to 1891, succeeding Thomas Clausen who held the position from 1866 to 1872. Upon the retirement of Schwarz from the directorship on 1 September 1891 the position became the responsibility of Grigori Levitski who held it until 1908.
During his tenure in later life he conducted studies of one third of the 10,000 celestial stars visible at Tartu.
Legacy
Radde's warbler, a leaf warbler bird that breeds in Siberia and winters in southeast Asia, bears a scientific name (Phylloscopus schwarzi) that commemorates Schwarz. The bird was described in 1863 by naturalist and fellow explorer Gustav Radde who served in the East Siberian Expedition of 1855 led by Schwarz.
Works
His publications include:
German: