BIGOURDAN; Guillaume; 1851-1932; FRA

A persistend observer, Bigourdan verified the positions of 6380 nebulae between 1884 and 1911 with Paris Observatory's 12inch refractor (F/17.2) and discovered about 500 new objects while doing so ("Observations de nébuleuses et d'amas stellaires", Gauthier-Villars, 1912). His aim (which now may seem fruitless) was to obtain the base for future nebulae proper motion surveys. Among other technical improvements, he described a new method for polar aligning equatorial instruments (Bigourdan's method, as known in France).