====== Huygens, Christiaan ======
{{wst>image_r|Huygens,_Christiaan|Christiaan Huygens,\\ 1629-1695}}
**Christiaan Huygens** was a Dutch astronomer, mathematician and physicist (14 April [[1629]] - 8 July [[1695]])

===== Overview =====
Huygens is regarded as one of the best known and most influential scientists and inventors of the 17th century. He built the first [[pendulum clock]]s. Their principle had indeed been developed before by Galilei but not implemented in practice. Huygens later constructed pocket watches with [[balance spring]]s and [[balance]]s.

===== Biographical data =====
Huygens was born on April 14 [[1629]] in The Hague.

At the end of the year [[1656]], he succeeded in constructing a clock with a [[pendulum]] as a regulator.

The watches, built behalf of Salomon Coster, had an accuracy of only ten seconds per day, a level of accuracy which could be surpassed only a hundred years later. Later, he also constructed [[pocket watch]]es with [[balance spring]]s and [[balance]]s.

From [[1666]] to [[1681]] Christiaan Huygens lived in Paris and was a founding member of the French Academy of Sciences. During this time he published his famous work Horologium Oscillatorium ([[1673]]). It contains important theorems of mechanics (e.g. conservation of momentum, the oscillation period of a pendulum; extension of the point mechanism to the mechanics of extended bodies, etc.).

===== Weblinks =====
  *[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiaan_Huygens|Christiaan Huygens]], Wikipedia
  *[[http://www.uhrenwerkzeug24.de/geschichte_pendeluhren.htm|Christiaan Huygens and die Pendeluhr]], uhrenwerkzeug24 (German)


{{tag>Biographies}}