In 1945 Ishiwara suffered a serious injury in a traffic accident and died in1947 at
age 66.
5.2 Matukuma Takehiko and Stellar Astronomy
5.2.1 Life and Works
Matukuma Takehiko (松隈健彦, 1890–1950) was born in Karatsu (唐津) in Saga
Prefecture, Kyushu, and showed an interest in astronomy in his youth. After 3 years
at Dai-Roku High School (old) in Okayama, he entered Tokyo Imperial University
and studied astronomy under Terao Hisashi. Upon graduation in 1913, he continued
his studies on a scholarship at Terao’s laboratory. After several years, he became a
professor at the Navy Academy at Edajima in Hiroshima and taught at Dai-Roku
High School (old) in Okayama and then at Dai-Ichi High School (old) in Tokyo,
successively.
In 1924, he moved to Sendai as an associate professor at Tohoku Imperial
University. The following year he was sent to Europe by the government for
3 years. He stayed mainly in Cambridge and studied general relativity and astrophysics under A. S. Eddington. Eddington was an early advocate of Einstein’s
general theory of relativity and his book The Mathematical Theory of Relativity
was just published in 1923.
Matukuma’s study in the early 1930s was directed to two subjects: celestial
mechanics and the structure of globular clusters.
When the Department of Astronomy in Tohoku Imperial University was
established in 1934, Matukuma was appointed as the first professor. While his
main interest was in theoretical astrophysics, he also promoted observational
astronomy as well. When a total eclipse was observed in Hokkaido, Japan, he
organized an expedition of solar eclipse for the purpose of confirming Einstein’s
effect.
During the World War II (1941–1945), Matukuma worked on the optical system
of the Schmidt camera and celestial mechanics on the motion of planets. The results
of his works were barely published in the late 1949 due to social confusion and
economic difficulties immediately after the end of the war.
In this way, Matukuma worked hard during and after the war. His work, however,
was broken by his sudden death by ileus in 1950 at age 59 (Hagihara et al. 1950).
He was also an esperantist in Sendai, and he served as the President of the
Esperantist Society of Sendai for a long time. The title Contributions from the
Department of Astronomy was named Sendai Astronomaj Reportaj (Fig. 5.5).
5.2 Matukuma Takehiko and Stellar Astronomy
125
age 66.
5.2 Matukuma Takehiko and Stellar Astronomy
5.2.1 Life and Works
Matukuma Takehiko (松隈健彦, 1890–1950) was born in Karatsu (唐津) in Saga
Prefecture, Kyushu, and showed an interest in astronomy in his youth. After 3 years
at Dai-Roku High School (old) in Okayama, he entered Tokyo Imperial University
and studied astronomy under Terao Hisashi. Upon graduation in 1913, he continued
his studies on a scholarship at Terao’s laboratory. After several years, he became a
professor at the Navy Academy at Edajima in Hiroshima and taught at Dai-Roku
High School (old) in Okayama and then at Dai-Ichi High School (old) in Tokyo,
successively.
In 1924, he moved to Sendai as an associate professor at Tohoku Imperial
University. The following year he was sent to Europe by the government for
3 years. He stayed mainly in Cambridge and studied general relativity and astrophysics under A. S. Eddington. Eddington was an early advocate of Einstein’s
general theory of relativity and his book The Mathematical Theory of Relativity
was just published in 1923.
Matukuma’s study in the early 1930s was directed to two subjects: celestial
mechanics and the structure of globular clusters.
When the Department of Astronomy in Tohoku Imperial University was
established in 1934, Matukuma was appointed as the first professor. While his
main interest was in theoretical astrophysics, he also promoted observational
astronomy as well. When a total eclipse was observed in Hokkaido, Japan, he
organized an expedition of solar eclipse for the purpose of confirming Einstein’s
effect.
During the World War II (1941–1945), Matukuma worked on the optical system
of the Schmidt camera and celestial mechanics on the motion of planets. The results
of his works were barely published in the late 1949 due to social confusion and
economic difficulties immediately after the end of the war.
In this way, Matukuma worked hard during and after the war. His work, however,
was broken by his sudden death by ileus in 1950 at age 59 (Hagihara et al. 1950).
He was also an esperantist in Sendai, and he served as the President of the
Esperantist Society of Sendai for a long time. The title Contributions from the
Department of Astronomy was named Sendai Astronomaj Reportaj (Fig. 5.5).
5.2 Matukuma Takehiko and Stellar Astronomy
125