Celsius << SEHL see uhs >> Anders (1701-1744), a Swedish astronomer, developed the Celsius scale. The scale (sometimes called the centigrade scale) is used to measure temperature in the metric system.
Astronomers in the mid-1700’s studied the weather along with stars and planets. In 1742, Celsius developed a new way of marking thermometers. He used the freezing point of water as one end of the scale and the boiling point of water as the other. He divided the range between these points into 100 equal parts or degrees. Celsius’s original scale labeled water’s boiling point as 0 degrees and its freezing point as 100 degrees. Scientists later reversed the scale. See Celsius scale .
In 1736, Celsius joined an expedition to Lapland that helped show that Earth is flattened around the North and South poles. The fame he earned helped him raise money to build an observatory in Uppsala, Sweden. Celsius also first linked auroras to disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field. Auroras are natural displays of light that occur in the sky. Earth’s magnetic field is the pattern of magnetic force surrounding the planet. See also Aurora .
Anders Celsius was born in Uppsala on Nov. 27, 1701. Both his father and grandfather were astronomers. He served as a professor of astronomy at Uppsala University from 1730 until he died on April 25, 1744.
