Spiridon Gopčević
Controversial amateur astronomer who founded Manora observatory and published fictional observations.
Spiridon Gopčević (9 July 1855 – 1928), who wrote under the alias Leo Brenner, was a Serbian-Austrian amateur astronomer, journalist, writer, and historian. Born in Trieste, his family roots were in the village of Podi near Herceg Novi, in what is now Montenegro. After schooling in Vienna, he worked as a journalist and later served as a diplomatic attaché for Serbia in Berlin and Vienna. In 1891, he returned to the family estate in Trieste, writing for German-language papers until his imprisonment in 1893 for anti-government articles.
A self-taught astronomer, Gopčević adopted the name Leo Brenner for his scientific work. In 1894, he established the Manora observatory in present-day Mali Lošinj, Croatia, where he used a 17.5 cm refractor to study planets. His observational reports, published in journals like the *Journal of the British Astronomical Association*, initially earned respect from specialists such as Philipp Fauth and Percival Lowell. However, according to academics Ronald Stoyan and Klaus-Peter Schroeder, these reports were extremely detailed yet often fabricated. When he claimed implausible rotation periods—for instance, Venus at 23 hours, 57 minutes, and 36.2396 seconds—his work was rejected. He responded with ad hominem attacks on critics like Camille Flammarion and Eugène Antoniadi, fell out with Lowell, and abused staff and equipment at the Vienna Observatory. By 1898, the editor of *Astronomische Nachrichten* refused his submissions. To bypass this, Gopčević launched his own monthly journal, *Astronomische Rundschau* (1899–1909), which he used for self-promotion and personal vendettas, sometimes printing fake endorsements from prominent astronomers and copying articles from other sources without permission. In 1902, he published the first German-language deep-sky observing guide. His books *Spaziergaenge durch das Himmelszelt* (1898) and *Beobachtungs-Objecte fuer Amateur-Astronomen* (1902) were well received. Astronomer Thomas Hockey noted that Brenner’s Jupiter drawings were initially accepted, but his later deceptions—including invented endorsements—suggest his errors were not innocent. Austrian historian Martin Stangl described him as having a near-pathological craving for fame and an overestimation of what was possible.
- Born
- 9 July 1855
- Birthplace
- Trieste
- Died
- 1928 (disputed)
- Pseudonym
- Leo Brenner
- Observatory
- Manora, Mali Lošinj (present-day Croatia)
- Telescope
- 17.5 cm refractor
- Journal founded
- Astronomische Rundschau (1899–1909)
Lore & Background
Gopčević was born in Trieste on 9 July 1855, originating from the village of Podi near Herceg Novi in Boka Kotorska (modern-day Montenegro), then part of the Austrian Empire. He was educated in Vienna and worked as a journalist and diplomatic attaché in Berlin (1886–1887) and Vienna (1887–1890). After returning to Trieste in 1891, his journalistic career ended in 1893 when he was imprisoned for anti-regime articles. Self-educated in astronomy, he published under the pseudonym Leo Brenner and founded the Manora observatory in 1894, using a 17.5 cm refractor telescope to observe planets.
His observational reports were initially published in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association and The English Mechanic and World of Science, gaining respect from lunar and planetary specialists such as Philipp Fauth and Percival Lowell. However, his claims—such as a rotation time for Venus of 23 hours, 57 minutes, and 36.2396 seconds—were deemed unrealistic. After criticism, he made ad hominem attacks against critics including Camille Flammarion and Eugène Antoniadi, fell out with Lowell, and abused staff and equipment at the Vienna Observatory. In 1898, the editor of Astronomische Nachrichten refused his submissions, prompting him to found his own journal, Astronomische Rundschau (1899–1909), which featured self-promotion, personal vendettas, and fake endorsements. He published the first German deep-sky observing guide in 1902, and his books Spaziergaenge durch das Himmelszelt (1898) and Beobachtungs-Objecte fuer Amateur-Astronomen (1902) had positive reception.
Reader's Guide
Gopčević's significance in amateur astronomy lies in his founding of the Manora observatory and his detailed planetary observations, which were later recognized as often fictional. According to academics Ronald Stoyan and Klaus-Peter Schroeder, his reports were extremely detailed and often fictional. Astronomer Thomas Hockey noted that his drawings of Jupiter were well accepted, but after being banned from many journals, he published his own with invented endorsements, suggesting his erroneous discoveries were deceptions rather than innocent errors. Austrian historian Martin Stangl described him as having a nearly pathological craving for fame and recognition combined with an overestimation of the possible. His credibility was lost to almost all professional astronomers by 1909, when he revealed his identity and left astronomy. The crater Brenner on the Moon was named after his pseudonym, and a new observatory built on Mali Lošinj in 1993 was named 'Leo Brenner'. His legacy is thus a cautionary tale of how ambition and deception can undermine scientific reputation, while his observatory site continues to bear his name.
Did You Know?
- Gopčević claimed the rotation time of Venus was 23 hours, 57 minutes, and 36.2396 seconds.
- He founded the Manora observatory in 1894 on what is now Mali Lošinj, Croatia.
- He published the first German observing guide of the deep-sky in 1902.
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