Christophorus Clavius

Christophorus (Christopher) Clavius. Born: Bamberg, Germany c. 25 March 1538. Died: Rome, Italy, 6 February 1612. Jesuit priest, who was an eminent mathematician and astronomer of the 16th century. Clavius was a supporter of the Ptolemaic system. Popes Gregory XIII and Clement VIII gave him the task of reviewing and defending the new Gregorian calendar against the Protestants, who were opposed to it. His defense was in Novi calendarii romani apologia (Rome, 1595) was crucial to adopting the new calendar. He developed an early version of the vernier for measuring fractions of angles, as well as a quadrant tailored for surveying. He also made a calculating device similar to Galileo's compass; wrote extensively about sundials, and created new types of them. He corresponded with many of the eminent scientists of his day, including Galileo, who was a personal friend

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