Origins & Early Life

Anders Jonas Ångström (; Swedish: [ˈânːdɛʂ ˈjûːnas ˈɔ̂ŋːstrœm]; 13 August 1814 – 21 June 1874) was a Swedish physicist and one of the founders of the science of spectroscopy. Ångström is also well known for his studies of astrophysics, heat transfer, terrestrial magnetism, and the aurora borealis. In 1852, Ångström formulated in Optiska undersökningar (Optical investigations), a law of absorption, later modified somewhat and known as Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation. Anders Jonas Ångström was born in Medelpad to Johan Ångström, and schooled in Härnösand.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He moved to Uppsala in 1833 and was educated at Uppsala University, where in 1839 he became docent in physics. In 1842, he went to the Stockholm Observatory to gain experience in practical astronomical work, and the following year he was appointed keeper of the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory. Intrigued by terrestrial magnetism he recorded observations of fluctuations in magnetic intensity in various parts of Sweden, and was charged by the Stockholm Academy of Sciences with the task, not completed until shortly before his death, of working out the magnetic data obtained by HSwMS Eugenie on her voyage around the...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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