Born: 1647 (Danzig, Poland)
Died: 1693 (Danzig, Poland)
Biography:
Elisabeth Catherina Koopmann-Hevelius, known in Polish as Elżbieta Heweliusz, was born on January 17, 1647, and passed away on December 22, 1693. She is considered one of the first female astronomers and made significant contributions to the field in collaboration with her husband, Johannes Hevelius.
Elisabeth was originally from Danzig, Poland, and she hailed from a wealthy merchant family. Like her husband and his first wife, she was born into a prosperous merchant family in the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk), which was a part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. She was a member of the trade organization called Hansa.
Elisabeth’s parents were Nicholas Koopman, a successful merchant, and Joanna Mennings. Nicholas and Joanna got married in Amsterdam in 1633 and later moved to Hamburg before settling in Danzig in 1636. It was in this city, where German was predominantly spoken but was under Polish rule at the time, that Elisabetha was born.
Elisabeth’s interest in astronomy began in her childhood. She was captivated by the subject and approached Johannes Hevelius, a renowned astronomer who had an exceptional observatory complex consisting of three houses in Danzig. At the young age of sixteen, she married the fifty-two-year-old Johannes Hevelius in 1663. This marriage not only allowed her to pursue her passion for astronomy but also enabled her to assist her husband in managing the observatory.
During their marriage, Elisabeth and Johannes had a son who unfortunately passed away shortly after birth, as well as three daughters who survived. The eldest daughter, named Catherina Elisabetha after her mother, was baptized in St Catherine’s Church in Danzig on February 14, 1666. It is known from the writings of Johann III Bernoulli that Elisabetha contracted smallpox at one point in her life, leaving her permanently scarred.
After Johannes Hevelius’ death in 1687, Elisabetha took on the responsibility of completing and publishing their joint work, Prodromus astronomiae in 1690. This catalogue of 1,564 stars and their positions included detailed information on their calculation methods, as well as examples of how they determined the latitude and longitude of stars using the sextant and quadrant. Unfortunately, the book was published only under Johannes’ name as the author.
Elisabetha was educated in Latin and used her knowledge of the language to correspond with other scientists. Although the details of when and where she learned Latin are unknown, it is evident that she received a comprehensive education for a woman of her time. Additionally, she exhibited proficiency in mathematics, further showcasing her intellectual capabilities.
Elisabetha Hevelius passed away in December 1693 at the age of 46 and was laid to rest in the same tomb as her husband. Following her death, the mathematician François Arago praised her character, highlighting her significant contributions to the field of astronomy.