, a Swedish astronomer, was born about the middle of the seventeenth
, a Swedish astronomer, was born
about the middle of the seventeenth century. He became
professor of mathematics at Upsal in 1679, but his zeal for
the Cartesian system made him be considered as a dangerous innovator, and he might have been a serious sufferer
from the prejudices raised against him, if he had not met
with a kind protector in Charles XL This prince having
travelled to Torneo, was so struck with the phenomena of
the sun at the spring solstice, that he sent Biilberg and
Spola to make observations on it, in the frontiers of Lapland, and their observations were confirmed by those of the
French mathematicians sent thither by Louis XV. Under
king Charles’s protection, Biilberg received considerable
promotion, and having studied divinity, was at last made
bishop of Strengnes. 'He died in 1717, leaving, 1. “Tractatus de Cometis,
” Stockholm, Elementa Geometrices,
” Upsal, Tractatus de refractione solis inoccidui,
” Stockholm, Tractatus de reformatione Calendarii Juliani et Gregoriani,
” Stockholm,