Konkoly Thenge

He spent his childhood in Hurbanovo, already as a 15-year constructed his own steam engine. After finishing secondary education in the academic year 1857 - 1858 he studied at the University of Budapest physics, among his teachers included the Stephen eater. Since 1860, he continued to study law at Berlin, where in 1862 he received his doctorate. He had universal interests earned diplomas ship's captain and driving. After graduating he went on a two-year study visit to the famous Observatory to be acquainted with their activities, programs and specialized instrumentation and established personal contacts. Observatory in Hurbanovo, founded in 1871, has for several years became known worldwide. Since 1890 he was the Director of the State Institute for meteorology and Earth magnetism in Budapest.

He was the designer of many astronomical instruments, therefore Hurbanovo was one of the most important scientific institutions in Europe. In his scientific activity he is devoted to the observation of sunspots, bright comets (the spectrum), solar prominences, meteors and determination of the exact time. He implemented systematically and geomagnetic and meteorological observations. Later he devoted astrophysics researchers - astrophotometry, spectroscopy, research of solar photosphere and chromosphere, photography, star clusters, nebulae, spectroscopic and spectrophotometric observations. His observations of Halley's Comet in 1910 was still in the mid-80s of the 20th century placed in the scientific literature.

A testament to his extraordinary scientific work are publications, which were attached as a proposal dr. Konkoly a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. A 7-year period has published 40 original scientific papers, based on their own observations. He was a member of scientific societies as Astronomische Gesellschaft, the Royal Astronomical Society and others. For his meritorious work received much recognition and awards - honorary doctorate from the University of Philadelphia, Regulations Litteris et Artibus, Prussia, Württemberg and Serbian series as well as gold medals for shooting a starry sky. On May 18, 1899 to devote all equipment Observatory State. . They chose him for several years as a Member of the Hungarian Parliament, his publications were rich. Multiple instruments are designed and constructed by him. In 1899 all his property, including observatories,  he donated to the state. Although he  never been seriously ill,but in February 17, 1916 in Budapest, he died of heart failure. It is buried in Hurbanovo.

Konkoly Thenge