M. W. (Max Wilhelm) Meyer

Born in Braunschweig on February 15, 1853, Max Wilhelm Meyer became a German astronomer, naturalist, and science writer. Sources agree that he first trained in the book trade before moving into astronomy, studying and working in places including Göttingen, Leipzig, Zurich, and Geneva.

Meyer is especially remembered as a gifted popularizer of science. He lectured on astronomy, later became director of the Urania society in Berlin, and edited the magazine Himmel und Erde, helping make scientific ideas approachable for general readers rather than only specialists.

He also wrote widely, with books on the Earth, the heavens, and the origins of the world. Meyer died on December 17, 1910, in Untermais near Meran, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both scientific seriousness and a strong desire to spark wonder.