大象传媒

Bha Iain MacIlleDhuibh 鈥� no John Lamont 鈥� gu math ainmeil mar reuladair anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Mar a dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha e 脿 sg矛re Gh脿idhealach ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain, ach choisinn e a chli霉 anns a鈥� Ghearmailt. Tha m貌ran e貌lach air anns an d霉thaich sin 鈥� agus air feadh an t-saoghail 鈥� mar 鈥淛ohann von Lamont鈥�.

Aig aois dh脿-dheug, fhuair Iain deagh chothrom airson a chuid foghlaim adhartachadh. Aig an 脿m ud, bha colaiste Chaitligeach Albannach aig Ratisbon ann am Babh脿iria. Chaidh fear de na manaich 脿 Ratisbon gu ruige Alba, feuch balaich a lorg airson a bhith nan oileanaich anns a鈥� cholaiste. Fhuair Iain MacIlleDhuibh fear de na h-脿iteachan ann.

Chuir Iain seachad beagan bhliadhnaichean ann an Ratisbon, a鈥� faighinn foghlam anns na cuspairean Clasaigeach, Feallsanachd agus Diadhachd. Bha e f矛or mhath air Matamataig. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, cho-dh霉in e nach robh e airson a bhith na shagart. Dh鈥檉h脿g e a鈥� cholaiste agus chaidh e gu ionad-foghlaim saidheansail ann am Munich far an do dh鈥檌onnsaich e tuilleadh mu shaidheans is reul-e貌las.

Rinn e adhartas proifeiseanta gu luath. Taobh a-staigh d脿 bhliadhna, bha e na neach-cuideachaidh don Phroifeasair Soldener aig an Reul-lann ann am Bogenhausen faisg air Munich. Nuair a chaochail am proifeasair c貌ig bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, chaidh Iain a dh猫anamh na Sti霉iriche na 脿ite. B鈥� e tiotal na dreuchd aige 鈥� Reuladair R矛oghail Bhabh脿iria.

Bha prosbaig mh貌r aige 鈥� an d脿rna t猫 a bu mhotha san t-saoghal aig an 脿m sin. Thug e s霉il air reul-bhadan, no constellations. Thug e s霉il air deargan-doireannan. Sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air nebulae 鈥� deargan-doireannan 鈥� mar gum biodh, na 鈥渟toirmean dearga鈥�. Dh鈥檉hoillsich e grunn mhapaichean de na rionnagan agus 鈥淢矛osachan Reul-e貌lasach鈥�. Chl脿ir e c貌rr is fichead m矛le rionnag a ghabhas faicinn bho Mhunich le prosbaig, ach nach gabh faicinn idir leis an t-s霉il gun taic.

Dh鈥檉h脿s e beartach. Nuair a bha Sagart Bhr脿igh Mh脿rr thall sa Ghearmailt ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1842), chaidh e a ch猫ilidh air. Chuir e iongnadh air an t-sagart cho math dheth 鈥檚 a bha Iain, agus an taigh aige l脿n 脿irneis luachmhor. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha nach robh m貌ran aige air an cosgadh e a chuid airgid. Bha beatha sh脿mhach sh矛mplidh aige, cha do ph貌s e riamh, agus chan eil e soilleir an do rinn e m貌ran siubhail na 霉ine fh猫in 鈥� air ais a dh鈥橝lba no a dh鈥櫭爄teachan eile.

Ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1852), fhuair e dreuchd eile 鈥� Proifeasair an Reul-e貌lais ann an Oilthigh Mhunich. 脌s d猫idh sin, dh鈥檉hoillsich e tr脿chdas mu dhubhadh na gr猫ine. Rinn e obair mh貌r cuideachd air a鈥� phlanaid Uranus. B鈥� esan a chiad duine a dh鈥檕braich a-mach cuideam Uranus. Rinn e sin le bhith a鈥� tomhas gluasad nan gealaichean timcheall na planaid. Rinn e obair air Saturn cuideachd agus chunnaic e Neaptuin d脿 thuras, ach cha do dh鈥檃ithnich e aig an 脿m gur e planaid a bh鈥� innte.

Fhuair Iain ballrachd ann an Acadamaidhean R矛oghail Bhabh脿iria is Dh霉n 脠ideann, Acadamaidhean na Bruiseil, Upsala is Prag agus buidhnean acadamaigeach eile. Bha e na Ridire ann am buidhnean urramach anns a鈥� Bhatican, san Ostair agus san t-Suain. Agus gu s貌nraichte bha e na Ridire ann am Babh脿iria 鈥� agus 鈥檚 e sin a leig leis 鈥渧on鈥� a chur ri ainm. Bho Iain MacIlleDhuibh, John Lamont, dh鈥櫭╥rich Johann von Lamont 鈥� agus chan eil a sgeul deiseil fhathast. A bharrachd air reul-e貌las, bha e cli霉iteach airson na rinn e ann an i霉il-tharraing agus dealan 鈥� is bheir sinn s霉il orra sin an ath thuras.

Faclan na Litreach: reuladair: astronomer; Feallsanachd: Philosophy; Diadhachd: Divinity; Matamataig: Mathematics; reul-e貌las: astronomy; reul-lann: (astronomical) observatory; reul-bhad: constellation; deargan-doireann: nebula; ballrachd: membership; dealan: electricity.

Abairtean na Litreach: ainmeil mar reuladair anns an naoidheamh linn deug: famous as an astronomer in the 19th Century; choisinn e a chli霉 anns a鈥� Ghearmailt: he won his reputation in Germany; deagh chothrom airson a chuid foghlaim adhartachadh: a good opportunity to advance his education; bha colaiste Chaitligeach Albannach ann am Babh脿iria: there was a Scottish Catholic college in Bavaria; fear de na manaich: one of the monks; gu ruige Alba, feuch balaich a lorg airson a bhith nan oileanaich: to Scotland to try to find boys to be students; cho-dh霉in e nach robh e airson a bhith na shagart: he decided he didn鈥檛 want to become a priest; chaidh Iain a dh猫anamh na Sti霉iriche na 脿ite: Iain was made Director in his place; an d脿rna t猫 a bu mhotha san t-saoghal: the second biggest [telescope] in the world; M矛osachan Reul-e貌lasach: Astronomical Calendar; chl脿ir e fichead m矛le rionnag a ghabhas faicinn bho: he recorded twenty thousands stars that can be seen from; nach gabh faicinn idir leis an t-s霉il gun taic: that cannot be seen with the unaided eye; chaidh e a ch猫ilidh air: he went to visit him; l脿n 脿irneis luachmhor: full of valuable furniture; air an cosgadh e a chuid airgid: on which he would spend his money; chan eil e soilleir an do rinn e m貌ran siubhail na 霉ine fh猫in: it鈥檚 not clear if he did much travel in his own time; tr脿chdas mu dhubhadh na gr猫ine: a treatise about the solar eclipse; le bhith a鈥� tomhas gluasad nan gealaichean: by measuring the movement of the moons; bha e na Ridire: he was a Knight.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: i霉il-tharraing: magnetism. The English and Gaelic for 鈥渕agnetism鈥� might seem to have nothing in common, the English being derived from Magnesia, the genitive form of Magnes, an ancient mineral-rich region in the classical world (the element 鈥渕agnesium鈥� gets its name from the same place). But you may be aware of another old English term for a magnet or piece of magnetic rock which could be used in a compass 鈥� a 鈥渓odestone鈥�. This means a 鈥済uiding stone鈥� and it is a direct equivalent to the Gaelic clach-i霉il (a magnet). I霉l means 鈥済uidance, direction鈥� (a neach-i霉il is a 鈥済uide鈥� eg a mountain guide). Tarraing means 鈥渁ttract鈥� so i霉il-tharraing (note the slenderisation of i霉l) means 鈥済uiding attraction鈥� which is a pretty good summary of the phenomenon as it was traditionally observed, and employed, while navigating at sea.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥檚 e sin a leig leis 鈥渧on鈥� a chur ri ainm: that鈥檚 what allowed him to add 鈥渧on鈥� to his name.