Agrippa (astronomer)

For other people named Agrippa, see Agrippa (disambiguation).

Agrippa (Greek: Ἀγρίππας; fl. 92 AD) was a Greek astronomer. The only thing that is known about him regards an astronomical observation that he made in 92 AD.[1] Ptolemy writes that in the twelfth year of the reign of Domitian, on the seventh day of the Bithynian month Metrous, Agrippa observed the occultation of a part of the Pleiades by the southernmost part of the Moon.[2]

The purpose of Agrippa's observation was probably to check the precession of the equinoxes, which was discovered by Hipparchus.[3]

The lunar crater Agrippa is named after him.[4]

  1. ^ Ptolemy. Almagest. VII, 3.
  2. ^ Jodra, Serge (2004–2017). "Agrippa". Imago Mundi (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  3. ^ Royal Irish Academy (1964). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, linguistics and literature. Section C. Hodges, Figgis. pp. 155–157.
  4. ^ Chong, S. M.; Lim, Albert; Ang, P. S. (25 July 2002). Photographic Atlas of the Moon. Cambridge University Press. p. 129. ISBN 9780521813921.