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A NEPTUNE DISCOVERY
CHRONOLOGY
1844
Febuary |
13th Challis requests Uranus-data from Airy
for Adams |
1845
September |
1st
Eugene Bouvard presents 'New Tables of Uranus' to the Paris
Academy.
Mid-Sept: Adams comments on the new planet’s position
to Challis
22nd Arago at French Institute asks Leverrier
to investigate NE perturbations
26th Airy returns from France
29th Letter from Airy to Challis (right)
click for larger image |
October |
15th The Times prints a letter
by Adams about a new comet.
c.21st Adams visits RGO, unannounced, at
3 & 4 pm
27th Airy investigates incest-murder charge
and suspends a senior RGO worker
29th Birth of Airy’s 7th child
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November |
10th Leverrier
gives first Memoir on Uranus to Paris Academy, his 31st on
celestial mechanics since 1839.
12th Adams finds a solution to radius vector
perturbn. 14th Adams elected a FRAS, on Challis’ proposal
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December |
1st Challis sees
Biela’s comet 4-6th Airy visits Challis
at Camb. (+ Adams possibly) |
1846
March |
9th Adams solves
equations for Biela’s comet, tells Challis
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April |
Adams addresses RAS, on the two
heads of Biela’s comet.
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June |
1st Leverrier’s
first prediction, to Paris Academy
10th Astronomer Peter Hansen visits Airy,
until July 4th.
23rd Airy receives Leverrier’s first
prediction
29th Airy addresses Board of Visitors of
Royal Observatory meeting
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July |
2nd Airy &
Hansen meet Adams in Cambridge, crossing St John’s bridge.
9th Airy urges Challis to commence a sky-search.
Adams prepares an ephemeris, for Challis’ guidance
29th Challis starts his sky-search
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August |
10th Mr &
Mrs Airy start tour of Europe , with Wiesbaden spa
31st Leverrier’s final prediction published
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September |
2nd Adams sends
first letter on the new planet, to Airy
10th BAAS meeting starts at Southampton,
1 week
18th Leverrier writes to Galle at the Berlin
Observatory
23rd Leverrier’s letter received at
Berlin in evening
24th 0h 15min PLANET FOUND by Galle and D’Arrest
29th Airy hears news of new planet, while
at Gotha.
30th Challis hears the news; Hind is first
Englishman to see it.
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October |
1st Lev. sends
letters to the observatories of Europe, announcing the name
'Neptune' and symbol, a trident. 1st Times
publishes Hind’s letter, on new planet found.
3rd 1st public linking of Adams's name with
new planet, by Herschel in Athenaeum
5th Airy visits Schumacher (editor of Astr.
Nach) at Altona
10th Lev’s final theory published in
Astr. Nach.
11th Airy returns to England. 17th, Challis
and Adams propose the name Oceanus for the new planet.
19th Arago addresses stormy meeting of Academy
of Sciences in Paris
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November |
13th Adams 'predictions'
of 1845 are revealed, at an RAS meeting hearing Airy, Challis
and Adams.
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December |
3rd-10th Seven
letters pass between Sedgwick & Airy
5th Athenaeum editorial accuses French of
‘mania’
12th Challis reports to Observatory Syndicate
at Cambridge |
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