Camille, the father of popular astronomy, was born here on Saturday 26 February 1842. A child of uncommon intelligence, he liked to isolate himself to contemplate the immensity of the universe. In 1852, he joined the choir of Langres Cathedral, before moving to Paris to join his parents. There he met M. Le Verrier, director of the Observatory. Fascinated by astronomy, he wrote numerous works and took part in conferences, before becoming president of the Société Aérostatique de France in 1867. In 1880 he published his Astronomie Populaire, "a book written for all those who like to be aware of the things that surround them". Edited by his brother Ernest, founder of the Flammarion publishing house, the book was awarded the Monthyon Prize by the Académie des Sciences. He went on to found the Société Astronomique de France and set up the Juvisy-sur-Orge Observatory.
He was also the birthplace of Ernest, founder of the publishing house that opened on rue Racine in Paris.
The Flammarion brothers, Camille (astronomer) and Jules-Ernest (publisher)
Nicolas Camille Flammarion, better known as Camille Flammarion, was born on 26 February 1842 in Montigny le Roi. He was a French astronomer and a very active member of many learned societies and associations for the popularisation of the positive sciences. His scientific discoveries placed him at the forefront of the popularisation of science, a position he still holds today.
His family originally intended him to become a clergyman, and he began his studies at the seminary in Langres. He completed his studies in Paris in 1858 and was accepted that same year as a student astronomer at the Imperial Observatory in Paris. He remained there for 4 years. After succeeding Abbé Moigno, he joined the editorial staff of the journal Le Cosmos. In 1865, he became scientific editor of the newspaper Le Siècle. During this time, he gave many public lectures on the main subjects of popular astronomy. In 1868, he undertook a number of balloon ascents to study the moisture content and direction of air currents in the atmosphere.
In 1887, he founded the Société Astronomique de France, of which he was the first president. In January 1881, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur for his work in popularising astronomy.
He was the first to suggest the names Triton, moon of Neptune, and Amalthea, moon of Jupiter, although these names would not be officially adopted until decades later. Camille Flammarion wrote around fifty books and countless articles for various learned journals, including the magazine L'Astronomie.
Ernest was the second son of a family of four from Haute-Marne, whose eldest son Camille was a famous astronomer. Ernest owed his fame to the publishing house he founded in 1876. The company's success was due to the popular success of his brother's book L'Astronomie populaire, which he published in 1878 and which became a bestseller at the end of the 19th century.
Editions Flammarion is a general publisher whose aim is to make knowledge in all its forms accessible to everyone, and to make the best possible content available to as many people as possible. With the exception of encyclopaedias, Flammarion offers a wide range of books covering all areas of literature, the fine arts, illustrated books, practical advice, the humanities and children's books.
The company remained family-owned until 2000, when it came under the control of the Italian group RCS.
No visits: private site only visible from the outside.
Maison natale de Camille et Ernest Flammarion
