author
M. W. (Max Wilhelm) Meyer
1853–1910
A popular science writer and astronomer, he had a gift for turning big questions about stars, planets, and the fate of the world into lively reading for general audiences. His books helped bring late 19th-century astronomy to readers far beyond the observatory.
2 Audiobooks
Die Welt der Planeten
by M. W. (Max Wilhelm) Meyer
Sonne und Sterne
by M. W. (Max Wilhelm) Meyer
About the author
Born in Braunschweig on February 15, 1853, Max Wilhelm Meyer became known as a German astronomer, naturalist, and writer. Early accounts note that he first worked in the book trade before moving into astronomical study at universities and observatories in Göttingen, Leipzig, and Zurich.
Meyer wrote science books and essays for broad audiences, with works on the stars, comets, meteors, volcanoes, the poles, cosmogony, and possible world catastrophes. That mix of solid science and dramatic subject matter made him an engaging guide for readers curious about the universe and the natural world.
He died on December 17, 1910, in Untermais near Meran. Though not widely remembered today, his career shows how much early popular science depended on writers who could make difficult ideas feel vivid, clear, and worth wondering about.