Louise du Pierry

Louise du Pierry or Dupiery, (née Elisabeth Louise Felicité Pourra de la Madeleine)[1] (30 July 1746 – 27 February 1807), was a French astronomer and professor.

Early life and education

Elisabeth Louise Felicité Pourra de la Madeleine was born in La Ferté-Bernard, in the French province of Maine, on 1 August 1746.[2]

Louise du Pierry was a student of, and the mistress of astronomer Jérôme de Lalande in 1779.[3] She studied both natural history and astronomy.

Career

She was a member of the Académie des Sciences de Béziers.

In 1789, she became the first female professor at the Sorbonne university in Paris as the leader of the Cours d’astronomie ouvert pour les dames et mis à leur portée for female students. It was the first class geared towards women.[3] The course was a huge success, despite many students initially fearing the subject matter would be too difficult for women.[4]

She published many works involving the collection of astronomical data. These works include:

  • Tables de l’effet des réfractions, en ascension droite et en déclinaison, pour la latitude de Paris, Paris, 1791. This publication concerned the estimation of the refraction effect, knowledge of which was necessary for the calculations of astronomers. The series of tables provide the amount of the refraction effect as a function of the right ascension and declination at the latitude of Paris.[4]
  • Tables de la durée du jour et de la nuit, Paris, 1792. This publication provided the duration of the days and the nights for both astronomical and civil uses.[4][2]
  • Calculs d’éclipses pour mieux trouver le movement de la Lune[4].
  • Table alphabétique et analytique des matières continues dans le cinq tomes du Système des connaissances chimiques de Fourcroy, Paris, Beaudouin, 1799 (year X of the French revolution).[2]

Jerome De Lalande dedicated his work Astronomie des Dames (1790) to her, where she is lauded for her talent, taste, and courage in the field of science.[5]

Commemoration

In 2026, du Pierry was announced as one of 72 historical women in STEM whose names have been proposed to be added to the 72 men already celebrated on the Eiffel Tower. The plan was announced by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo following the recommendations of a committee led by Isabelle Vauglin of Femmes et Sciences [fr] and Jean-François Martins, representing the operating company which runs the Eiffel Tower.[6][7][8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ (in French) Jean Pierre Poirier, Histoire des femmes de science en France: du Moyen-Âge à la Révolution. Pygmalion, 2002, p. 161 ISBN 9782857047896
  2. ^ a b c Bernardi, Gabriella (14 March 2016). The Unforgotten Sisters: Female Astronomers and Scientists before Caroline Herschel. Springer. ISBN 9783319261270 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b Roberts, Meghan K. (Spring 2017). "Learned and Loving: Representing Women Astronomers in Enlightenment France". Journal of Women's History. 29: 14–37. doi:10.1353/jowh.2017.0001. S2CID 151312807.
  4. ^ a b c d Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey (1986). Women in Science: antiquity through the nineteenth century. Boston: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. p. 148.
  5. ^ Lalande, Joseph Jérôme Le Français de (1817). Astronomie des dames (in French). Ménard et Desenne, Fils.
  6. ^ "Eiffel Tower: a list of 72 women scientists will soon be inscribed on the Parisian monument". www.sortiraparis.com. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Eiffel Tower to honor 72 women scientists for posterity". 26 January 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Les noms des 72 femmes pour la Tour Eiffel ont été révélés". Femmes & Sciences (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  9. ^ 72 femmes de sciences pour la tour Eiffel Femmes & Sciences (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-08
allikas: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_du_Pierry