astronomy

Robert von Sterneck

Robert von Sterneck is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Robert von Sterneck rather than just read about it. In short: Robert von Sterneck (Robert Freiherr Daublebsky von Sterneck the Elder, 1839–1910) was a member of the Budweis Daublebsky von Sterneck baronial family who served as an Austro-Hungarian general major, geophysicist and astronomer. He studied in Prague and entered the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1859, participating in the Magenta und Solferino campaign that year and in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.

Key takeaways

Robert von Sterneck belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Robert von Sterneck to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Robert von Sterneck from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Robert von Sterneck (Robert Freiherr Daublebsky von Sterneck the Elder, 1839–1910) was a member of the Budweis Daublebsky von Sterneck baronial family who served as an Austro-Hungarian general major, geophysicist and astronomer. He studied in Prague and entered the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1859, participating in the Magenta und Solferino campaign that year and in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. From 1862 to 1880, he served head of the astronomical-geodetic section of the military geographic institute in Vienna, and from 1880 to 1902 as the head of the institute's astronomical observatory. He led numerous geodetic missions in the Balkans during the 1870s. He specialized in measuring gravitational acceleration and the density and interior structure of Earth. Cape Sterneck in Antarctica is named for him. His son, Robert Daublebsky von Sterneck the Younger (1871–1928) was professor of mathematics at Graz.

Bibliography "Untersuchungen über die Schwere im Innern der Erde", Mitteilungen des k.u.k. Militärgeographischen Instituts Wien, Band 2, 1882, Band 3, 1883, Band 6, 1886 "Der neue Pendelapparat des k. u. k. Militärgeographischen Instituts", Mitteilungen des k.u.k. Militärgeographischen Instituts Wien, Band 7, 1887 "Untersuchungen über den Einfluß der Schwerestörungen auf die Ergebnisse des Nivellements", Mitt. k.u.k. Militärgeogr. Inst., Band 8, 1888, Band 9, 1889 "Relative Schwerebestimmungen", Mitt. k.u.k. Militärgeogr. Inst., Band 12-14, 1892-1894, Band 17, 1897, Band 21, 1901 "Der neue Flutmesser in Ragusa", Mitt. k.u.k. Militärgeogr. Inst., Band 22, 1902 "Die Höhe des Mittelwassers bei Ragusa und die Ebbe und Flut im adriatischen Meere", Mitt. k.u.k. Militärgeogr. Inst., Band 23, 1903 "Über den Einfluß des Mondes auf die Richtung und Größe der Schwerkraft der Erde", Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien, Band 73, 1876 "Über die Änderung der Refraktionskonstante und Störungen der Richtung der Lotlinie im Gebirge", Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien, Bd. 80, 1879 "Untersuchungen über den Zusammenhang der Schwere unter der Erdoberfläche mit der Temperatur", Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien, Band 108, 1899 "Das Fortschreiten der Flutwelle im adriatischen Meere", Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien, Band 117, 1908 "Die Polhöhe und ihre Schwankungen", Mitt. k.u.k. Militärgeogr. Institut, 1893 "Die Gezeitenerscheinungen in den Adria", Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien, 1912

References

Heribert Sturm, Biographisches Lexikon zur Geschichte der böhmischen Länder 1, Collegium Carolinum (1979), p. 234. Karl Lego (1957). "Daublebsky, Robert". Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. 3. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 524–525. (full text online).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Robert von Sterneck

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Robert von Sterneck claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Robert von Sterneck before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Robert von Sterneck ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Robert von Sterneck

In research: Robert von Sterneck appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Robert von Sterneck in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Robert von Sterneck is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1839 births, 1910 deaths, 19th-century Austrian astronomers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Robert von Sterneck outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Robert von Sterneck in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Robert von Sterneck means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Robert von Sterneck out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Robert von Sterneck in simple terms?

Why does Robert von Sterneck matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Robert von Sterneck?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Robert von Sterneck.