Ernst Abbe

Ernst Abbe HonFRMS
Born	(1840-01-23)23 January 1840 Eisenach, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Died	14 January 1905(1905-01-14) (aged 64) Jena, German Empire
Nationality	German
Alma mater	University of Göttingen University of Jena
Known for	Abbe refractometer Abbe number
Scientific career
Fields	Physics Optical engineering
Institutions	University of Jena
Doctoral advisor	Wilhelm Eduard Weber Karl Snell
Doctoral students	Heinrich Friedrich Weber
Other notable students	Gottlob Frege

Ernst Karl Abbe HonFRMS (23 January 1840 – 14 January 1905) was a German businessman, optical engineer, physicist, and social reformer. Together with Otto Schott and Carl Zeiss, he developed numerous optical instruments. He was also a co-owner of Carl Zeiss AG, a German manufacturer of scientific microscopes, astronomical telescopes, planetariums, and other advanced optical systems.