Father Ferdinand Verbiest, Jesuit Astronomer

Father Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688) was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China during the Qing dynasty. He was an accomplished mathematician and astronomer and proved to the court of Kangxi Emperor that European astronomy was more accurate than Chinese astronomy. He corrected the Chinese calendar and was later asked to rebuild and re-equip the Beijing Ancient Observatory He was a trusted friend to the Kangxi Emperor, who frequently requested his teaching, in geometry, philosophy and music. Verbiest worked as a diplomat and cartographer, and also as a translator, because he spoke Latin, German, Dutch, Spanish, Hebrew, and Italian. Verbiest died in 1688 shortly after receiving a wound from falling off a bolting horse.

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