Mathematician:Johann Daniel Titius

Mathematician

German astronomer best known for formulating the Titius-Bode Law, and thence to predict the existence of a planet between Mars and Jupiter.

Also active in the field of biology.

Nationality

German

History

• Born: 2 January 1729 in Konitz, Royal Prussia, (now Chojnice in Poland)
• Died: 11 December 1796 in Wittenberg, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany)

Theorems and Definitions

• Titius-Bode Law (with Johann Elert Bode)

Results named for Johann Daniel Titius can be found here.

Publications

• 1766: Translation of Charles Bonnet's Contemplation de la Nature

Also known as

Titius was born Johann Daniel Tietz or Tietze. When he became a University professor he Latinized his surname.

Notable Quotes

Take notice of the distances of the planets from one another, and recognize that almost all are separated from one another in a proportion which matches their bodily magnitudes. Divide the distance from the Sun to Saturn into $100$ parts; then Mercury is separated by four such parts from the Sun, Venus by $4+3=7$ such parts, the Earth by $4+6=10$, Mars by $4+12=16$. But notice that from Mars to Jupiter there comes a deviation from this so exact progression. From Mars there follows a space of $4+24=28$ such parts, but so far no planet was sighted there. But should the Lord Architect have left that space empty? Not at all. Let us therefore assume that this space without doubt belongs to the still undiscovered satellites of Mars, let us also add that perhaps Jupiter still has around itself some smaller ones which have not been sighted yet by any telescope. Next to this for us still unexplored space there rises Jupiter's sphere of influence at $4+48=52$ parts; and that of Saturn at $4+96=100$ parts.