First Neptune Observation
Galle's Ph.D. thesis, finished in the year of 1845, was a reduction and critical discussion of Ole Rømer's observation of meridian transits of stars and planets on the days from 20 October to 23 October 1706. Around 1845 he sent a copy of his thesis to Urbain Le Verrier, but only received an answer a year later on 18 September 1846. It reached Galle on 23 September and in it Le Verrier asked him to look at a certain region of sky to find a predicted new planet, which would explain the perturbations of the planet Uranus. The same night, after Encke gave him the permission against his own judgement, an object fitting the description was found, and it was confirmed as being a planet over the next two evenings.
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Famous quotes containing the words neptune and/or observation:
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