The Oersted (Oe) is the unit of measurement for a magnetizing field that is also known as an H-field, intensity, or a magnetic field. The Oersted was named after a Danish physicist and philosopher, Hans Oersted, who discovered the connection between electricity and magnetism in 1819.

Who was Hans Oersted?

Hans Oersted was a Danish philosopher and physicist who is most famous for discovering electromagnetism. This discovery led to research circles placing a significant amount of focus on notable scientists, Ampère and Arago’s electrodynamic research. The scientific community then discovered that electrically generated magnetism creates force. Force is capable of generating motion, and this motion can create an electrical current. This was the first realization of the inter-convertibility of natural phenomena.

How Did Hans Oerstend Discover Electromagnetism?

Hans Oersted believed that nature is both unified and systematic, and that science is a religion. While conducting an experiment in front of his class, he placed a compass in front of a current carrying wire and made a discovery that lead to what is now known as electromagnetism. His experiment demonstrated that there are underlying connections between the two phenomena. This was a significant step towards creating a unified concept of energy.

Oersted Lunar Crater

A lunar crater that was flooded by lava and only has a crescent-shaped rim with a slight gap to its southwest was also named after Hans Oersted. The crater rim has a height of 1.7 km and is southeast of the better known crater Atlas and southwest of the Chevallier crater. At the Oersted crater’s northern rim, there is a lava-flooded craterlet. To the south is a fully intact crater now named Oersted A that was formed after the original Oersted crater was flooded. Northwest of the crater is the flooded crater Oersted P.