Nicolas Louis de Lacaille ( 1713 - 1762 )

Birth: Rumigny, near Rheims, France (15 March or 15 May 1713) Death: Paris, France (21 March 1762) Profession: Astronomer Research Field: Astronomy, geodesy Career: Friend of Jacques Cassini; was the first to determine accurately the length of an arc of the meridian; Professor of Mathematics, College Mazarin (1740); went to the Cape of Good Hope (1750-1754); determined the position of more than 10,000 stars Membership: Fellow Election Date: 17/01/1760.