Simonov, Ivan

Simonov, Ivan Mikhailovich 

Born June 20 (July 1), 1794, in Gorokhovets, in what is now Vladimir Oblast; died Jan. 10 (22), 1855. Russian astronomer. Corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1829).

Simonov became a professor at the University of Kazan in 1816 and rector in 1846. From 1819 to 1821 he took part in and wrote a detailed account of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. La-zarev’s expedition around the world, during which the continent of Antarctica was discovered.

Among Simonov’s contributions are his many astronomical observations, the development of methods for such observations, and the design of a reflector. Simonov was among the first in Russia to study terrestrial magnetism. On his initiative two observatories were established in Kazan: an astronomical observatory in 1833 and an observatory for the study of magnetism in 1843. Simonov Island (Tuvana-I-Tholo) in the South Pacific and the northeastern cape of Peter I Island were named in Simonov’s honor.

WORKS

Astronomicheskie i fizicheskie nabliudeniia, sdelannye vo vremia puteshestviia okolo sveta, part 1. St. Petersburg, 1828.
“Opyt matematicheskoi teorii zemnogo magnetizma.” Uchenye zapiski Kazanskogo un-ta, 1835, book 3. [23–1188–]