Peirescius, French Astronomer
Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (December 1, 1580 - June 24, 1637) was a French astronomer and antiquary, who maintained a wide correspondence with scientists, and was a successful organizer of scientific inquiry. Though fascinated by archeology and astronomy he finished his legal studies in 1604 at the University of Montpellier and took over his uncle's position as conseiller in the Parlement of Provence from 1607 until 1615. The first discovery of the diffuse nebulous nature of the Orion Nebula is generally credited to him when he made a record of observing it on November 26, 1610. He became a patron of science and art, studied fossils, and supported the astronomer Pierre Gassendi from 1634 to 1637. His position as a great intellectual at the time of the scientific revolution has led to his being called a "Prince of the Republic of Letters". He was also a noted politician in his home region, and a tireless letter writer (10,000 of his letters survive). He wrote letters to Galileo, Gassendi and Tommaso Campanella, whom he defended when they were arrested by the Inquisition, the brothers Dupuy, and de Richelieu, to name a few. He is remembered for his research in the determination of the difference in longitude of various locations in Europe, around the Mediterranean, and in North Africa. He owned over 18,000 coins and medals, and was also an archaeologist, amateur artist, historian, Egyptologist, botanist, zoologist, physiologist, geographer, and ecologist. He died in 1637 at the age of 56.
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