Fraunhofer

Fraunhofer, Josef von (1787-1826), the discoverer of the dark lines in the sun's spectrum which bear his name, was born at Straubing, Bavaria. In 1818 he became manager of an optical institute, at which he had been employed for some years. It was removed from Benediktbeuern in 1819 to Munich, where, four years later, Fraunhofer was made professor and conservator of the physical cabinet of the Academy of Sciences. Besides the discovery mentioned above, he was the author of several inventions and improvements in optical instruments and the mechanism of large telescopes, and made the great telescope at Dorpat.