this page honors Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695)


prism Saturn number 1

The image is a digital rendering of part of the surface of Saturn.

Christiaan Huygens was born in The Hague to a prominent Dutch family. He studied law and mathematics in Leiden, Holland, and became interested in scientific studies and instruments.

He made his own microscopes and telescopes. In 1656, he patented the first pendulum clock, and tested his models at sea to determine longitude.


Listen to the music! ♫ ♪
The music is a courtly dance for flute and harpsichord. Choose a format to play or download: MP3 | MIDI.