Eugen von Gothard and His X-Ray Experiments

Eugen von Gothard (1857–1909) made significant contributions to astrophysics and founded the Astrophysical Observatory in Hereny, Hungary, in 1881. He also was a gifted instrument maker who designed and produced the apparatus and equipment he needed to carry out his researches, which enabled him to respond immediately to Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen’s astonishing discovery of X rays. Von Gothard took his first X-ray photograph on January 23, 1896, thus inaugurating his first series of experiments, which ended on May 26, 1896. He carried out a second series of experiments on June 21–22, 1905, four years before his premature death at age 51.