Short "astronomical" biography

Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke
1962 Through broadcasts of Dr. Rudolf Kühn my interest in astronomy growed at the age of 10 Picture
1965 Lectures from Joachim Herrmann, a visit at the Reklinghausen Public Observatory and talks from Prof. Heinz Haber on TV further inspired me Picture
1965 First telescopes: 30 mm finder and 50 mm (2") Kosmos refractor Picture
1967 Bought used 110 mm (4") Newtonian, observing many objects (Messier, NGC) with the aid of star charts from Schurig-Götz (edition 1925) and Beyer-Graff and the "Tabellenbuch für Sternfreunde" (J. Herrmann): growing interest in deep-sky data Picture
1968 Subscription of the german astro-magazine "Sterne und Weltraum"  
1972-84 Study of physics in Aachen and Freiburg, later spezialising in General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics; additional study of mathematics and informatics; scientific assistant at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (Prof. K. Westphal)  
1976 Member of the Vereinigung der Sternfreunde e.V. (VdS)  
1977 Member of the Sternfreunde Breisgau e.V. (SFB) in Freiburg  
1978 First astronomical lectures  
1982 Visual observations of deep-sky objects with a C14 (Horben/Freiburg 600 m; since 1985: Schauinsland 1250 m); my first computer  
1984 Publication of my "Katalog heller Quasare und BL Lacertae Objekte" and "Katalog der Galaxiengruppen", presentation (lectures) on astronomical meetings Picture
1987 Transfer of deep-sky catalogue data on digital magnetic tape (CCT) from CDS, Strasbourg  
1988 First version od my deep-sky database CAT 2000  
1991 Start of courses on astronomical themes (adult education)  
1992 Interest in "History of Astronomy"  
1997 First "Revised NGC/IC", core team member of the NGC/IC Project  
1998 Cooperation in the VdS-Fachgruppe (section) "Deep-Sky"  
2000 Leader of the VdS-Fachgruppe "Deep-Sky" (at the annual meeting DST2000) Picture
2001 Board member of the "Vereinigung der Sternfreunde" (VdS)  
2001 Member of the "Webb Society"  
2002 Committee member of the "Webb Society" (Director of "Nebulae and Clusters" section)  
2002 Elected Fellow of the "Royal Astronomical Society" (RAS)  
2002 Leader of the VdS-Fachgruppe "History of Astronomy"  
2002 Member of "Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte" in the German "Astronomische Gesellschaft" (AG)  
2003 Secretary of the "Vereinigung der Sternfreunde" (VdS)  
2004 Publication of "Praxishandbuch Deep-Sky" (Kosmos-Verlag) Picture
2006 First version of "Historic NGC"  
2007 Publication of "Galaxies and How to Observe them" (Springer, New York)  
2008 Publication of "Sternwarten. 95 astronomische Observatorien in aller Welt" (Oculunm)  
2008 First version of "Historic IC"  
2008 PhD at Hamburg University with a thesis on the history of the New General Catalogue (published 2009)  
2010 Publication of my book"Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters" by Cambridge University Press  
2010 Revision of famous historical deep-sky catalogues (Messier, W. & J. Herschel, Auwers, Dreyer)  

 

Pictures

Dr. Rudolf Kühn (1926-1963)
Joachim Herrmann (Public Observatory Recklinghausen)
My first telescope (2" refractor)
My second telescope (4" Newtonian, 1:10)
Lecture at the VdS meeting in Heppenheim (october 1, 1983) about "Visual Observations of Galaxy Groups and Quasars"
Lecture at the Deep-Sky meeting (DST2000) on Eisenberg (April 1, 2000) on "The Digital Sky"
Praxishandbuch Deep-Sky