- German astronomer, educator, and academic: Gelpke was a multi-faceted individual who made contributions in the fields of astronomy and education.
- Lived in Brunswick: Born and died in Braunschweig, Germany (January 21, 1769 - April 20, 1842).
- Academic career: He held the titles of Schulrat (school councilor) and Professor, likely in Braunschweig.
- Astronomical interests: Gelpke had a particular interest in comets, as evidenced by his published works:
- "Über das Urvolk der Erde" (On the Original People of Earth) (1820)
- "Über die Entstehungsart und Beschaffenheit der Kometen" (On the Origin and Nature of Comets) (1835)
- Honors: Received an honorary membership from the Grand Ducal Mineralogical Society in Jena.
If you'd like to delve deeper, there's a biography available (in German) titled August Heinrich Christian Gelpke - ein Astronom am Collegium Carolinum zu Braunschweig by Klaus John (2005).
