18 Facts About Christopher Hansteen

Christopher Hansteen was a Norwegian geophysicist, astronomer and physicist, best known for his mapping of Earth's magnetic field.

Christopher Hansteen's mother was a first cousin of Niels Treschow.

The intention was for Christopher Hansteen to become a naval officer, but since his father died when Christopher Hansteen was young, this plan did not materialize.

Christopher Hansteen took the examen artium in 1802, and in 1803 he enrolled at the University of Copenhagen, where he originally studied law.

Christopher Hansteen later took more interest in mathematics, estranged by the lack of universal validity of a country's laws compared to the mathematical laws.

In 1807 Christopher Hansteen began the inquiries in terrestrial magnetism with which his name is especially associated.

Christopher Hansteen was the editor of the official Norwegian almanac from 1815, manager of the city astronomical observatory from the same year and co-director of the Norwegian Mapping Authority from 1817.

Christopher Hansteen did not conclude on the issue at hand, but his work was later completed by Carl Friedrich Gauss.

Shortly after the return of the mission, in 1833 Christopher Hansteen moved with his family into the observatory, which was created from drawings by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch.

In 1842 Christopher Hansteen wrote his Disquisitiones de mutationibus, quas patitur momentum acus magneticae.

Christopher Hansteen contributed various papers to different scientific journals, especially Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne.

Christopher Hansteen was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters from 1818 and of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters from 1857, as well as several learned societies in other countries, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Christopher Hansteen was a member of the board of the Royal Norwegian Society for Development for many years, and chaired the board of the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry.

Christopher Hansteen left the position as observatory manager in 1861 as well, but continued as editor of the Norwegian almanac until 1863 and as director of the Norwegian Mapping Authority until 1872.

Christopher Hansteen was the paternal great-grandfather of Kristofer Hansteen and Edvard Heiberg Hansteen; trade unionist Viggo Hansteen was a later descendant.

Christopher Hansteen died in April 1873 in Christiania, and is buried at Gamle Aker kirkegard.

Christopher Hansteen was appointed a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav in 1847, and received the Grand Cross in 1855.

Christopher Hansteen was appointed a Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog and a Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star, as well as other foreign orders of knighthood.