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Whose calculations first predicted the existence of Neptune before it was seen?
Quick Answer
Urbain Le Verrier predicted Neptune mathematically in 1846 by studying Uranus’s orbit. Johann Galle then observed the planet the same year, very close to the predicted position.
The Full Story
Urbain Le Verrier used small irregularities in Uranus’s motion to infer that another planet must be disturbing its orbit. In 1846 he published calculations predicting where the unseen planet should be. Johann Galle, with Heinrich d’Arrest, found Neptune on 23 September 1846 at the Berlin Observatory, very near Le Verrier’s predicted location. This was one of the most famous triumphs of mathematical prediction in astronomy.
Key Facts
1.Le Verrier published his prediction in 1846
2.Neptune was observed by Johann Galle on 23 September 1846
3.The discovery came from gravitational perturbations in Uranus’s orbit
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"A planet was found on paper before anyone saw it"
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