She had been working at nights… Why? That is the question... The answer is that Maria
Cunitz was an accomplished astronomer and the most learned woman in astronomy since the legendary ancient
Hypatia of Alexandria (a Neoplatonist philosopher, matemathician and
astronomer). Her book published in her own expense, Urania propitia, 1650 was
written both in Latin and German. It provided new tables, new ephemera and a
more elegant solution to Kepler’s Problem. Simply speaking, Maria Cunitz’s work was aimed to determine the position of a planet in its orbit as a function of time.
It was a simplification of the Rudolphine Tables.
Talented musician, accomplished
painter and outstanding astronomer. Moreover, she was able to converse in
seven languages, German, Polish, Italian, French, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. That
is why, because of her many talents and accomplishments, Maria was called the Silesian Pallas (Pallas Athena in Greek mythology is the goddess of wisdom).
Today’s sculpture of Maria Cunitz in
her home town Swidnica, where she has been sitting since 2009 on the bench near her house,
is devoted to her memory. I am still surprised by a fact that I knew nothing about her, about Maria, while living in Swidnica. This city is my home town as well.
After three centuries, I have discovered her story of love and passion to
astronomy and science in general. What a marvellous story… I can say. Hence, 12624 Mariacunitia, a main-belt minor planet, discovered on October 17, 1960 in San Diego, was named after her - Maria Cunitz, a Silesian astronomer of the 17th century.
By the way, Maria through the language of her book
developed the German language of science, knowing that she published both in German and Latin in 17th
century. But, for me, first of all, she imprinted her immortal hand on the
city, which has a complicated and rich history. A city which belonged, in the past, firstly, to the Polish Piast duke named Bolko I of Swidnica, secondly, to a part
of Bohemia, thirdly, to Prussia and the German Empire, and, which was reassigned to Poland after World War II.
A Silesian city which is hers… and mine. Per Maria ad astra, working at nights, and looking at stars...
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