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Audouin Dollfus
French astronomer
Quick Facts
- In full:
- Audouin-Charles Dollfus
- Died:
- October 1, 2010, Versailles
- Also Known As:
- Audouin-Charles Dollfus
- Subjects Of Study:
- Solar System
- Janus
Audouin Dollfus (born November 12, 1924, Paris, France—died October 1, 2010, Versailles) was a French astronomer, successor to Bernard Lyot as the principal French authority on the solar system.
Dollfus made several balloon flights for high-altitude observations, including the first stratospheric ascension in France. On the basis of comparative light-polarizing qualities, he concluded that the surface material of Mars consists of pulverized limonite (an iron oxide, Fe2O3) and prepared a map of Venus showing what he believed to be permanent features. On December 15, 1966, he discovered Saturn’s 10th known satellite, Janus.