(Christopher), a German mathematician, astronomer, and Jesuit, eminent for being the first who discovered spots on the sun, was born at Schwaben in the territory of Middleheim in 1575. He first discovered spots on the sun's disk in 1611, and made observations on these phenomena at Rome, until at length reducing them to order, he published them in one vol. folio in 1630. He wrote also some smaller things relating to mathematics and philosophy; and died in 1650.