Fernand Baldet

"Baldet" redirects here. For the lunar crater, see Baldet (lunar crater).

Fernand Baldet (16 March 1885 – 8 November 1964) was a French astronomer.

He worked with Count Aymar de la Baume Pluvinel observing Mars from the newly built observatory on Pic du Midi in 1909. The resulting photographs, taken with the 0.5 metre (20 inch) reflecting baillaud telescope, were so sharp, that they were able to disprove Percival Lowell's claim of geometrical canals on the planet's surface.

Baldet was the President of the Société astronomique de France (SAF), the French astronomical society, from 1939-1945.[1] The crater Baldet on the Moon and the crater Baldet on Mars were named in his honour.

References

  1. ↑ Société astronomique de France (SAF), list of presidents
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