Christiaan Huygens Biography and Timeline

Birth of Christiaan Huygens

Birth of Christiaan Huygens, Dutch astronomer as well as a mathematician, physicist, science fiction writer, and horologist

Discovery of Orion Nebula

Huygens is the first person to get a clear look at the Orion Nebula

Discovery of Pendulum Clock

Patents the first pendulum clock in 1656 and presents it to the states-general in 1657

Discovery of Pendulum Clock

Publishes Horologium, which explained how to create the pendulum clock

Horologium

Publishes Horologium, which explained how to create the pendulum clock

Discovery of Saturn

The Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens observed Saturn in 1659, and solved the mystery, realizing that the "arms" around Saturn were really a system of rings. He also was the first to observe Saturns moon Titan

Wave Theory of Light

Huygens proposes that light consists of series of waves, he used this theory in investigating the refraction (bending) of light

Cause of Gravity

Publishes mechanical ideas about gravity and centrifugal force in cosmological context.

Role range: 1629-1695

Death of Christiaan Huygens

Death of Christiaan Huygens

Discovery of Huygens Region

Huygens sketch of the nebula is published, in honor of his discovery, the interior of the nebula was named the Huygens Region

Discovery of Orion Nebula

Huygens sketch of the nebula is published, in honor of his discovery, the interior of the nebula was named the Huygens Region

Discovery of Titan

The European Space Agency honored Huygenss discovery of Titan by naming a space probe after him, the Huygens probe, designed to drop through Titans atmosphere, is launched aboard the Cassini spacecraft in 1997

Huygens Probe

The European Space Agency honored Huygenss discovery of Titan by naming a space probe after him, the Huygens probe, designed to drop through Titans atmosphere, is launched aboard the Cassini spacecraft in 1997