Recherches sur le mouvements d'Uranus, pp. 907-918 in: Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences, Vol. XXII, no. 22, 1 June 1846. PREDICTION OF THE EXISTENCE OF NEPTUNE

LE VERRIER, Urbain Jean Joseph

Verlag: Paris: Bachelier, 1846

First edition, complete journal volume, a pristine copy in its original state, of the first appearance of Le Verrier's mathematical prediction of the existence of Neptune, "undeniably one of the major scientific events of the nineteenth century" (Lequeux, p. 22). This journal issue precedes by five months the more detailed separate publication with the same title. Neptune, whose existence was visually confirmed in 1846, was the first planet to be discovered by mathematical rather than observational means. The discovery of Neptune not only represents the greatest triumph for Newton's gravitational theory since the return of Halley's Comet in 1758, but it also marks the point at which mathematics and theory, rather than observation, began to take the lead in astronomical research . . . The discovery of Neptune resulted from the need to develop a theory explaining the motion of the solar system's seventh planet, Uranus, the movements of which could not be completely accounted for by the gravitational effects of Jupiter and Saturn. Several astronomers since the planet's discovery in 1781 had suggested that the perturbations in Uranus's orbit could be caused by an as yet unknown trans-Uranian planet. However, the complex mathematics required for proving this hypothesis was so daunting that no one had attempted the task . . . Le Verrier had begun his own work on the Uranus problem in the summer of 1845, encouraged by François Arago, who by then had become France's leading astronomer" (historyofinformation). Le Verrier communicated the result of his investigations to several astronomers who had powerful instruments at their disposal. Among them was J. G. Galle, at the Berlin observatory, who was notified by Le Verrier on 23 September. Two days later he wrote to Le Verrier, announcing that he had observed the planet within 1° of Le Verrier's predicted position. "During the time that Le Verrier was conducting his research on the movements of Uranus, the English astronomer J. C. Adams was independently arriving at the same conclusions, which he communicated to the Astronomer Royal, George Biddell Airy. Adams's paper remained unpublished until 1847" (Norman). Sparrow, Milestones of Science 132; Evans 25; Norman 1343 (separate issue). Lequeux, Le Verrier Magnificent and Detestable Astronomer, 2013 (especially Chap. 2, 'The Discovery of Neptune (1845-1846)'). 4to, pp. [iv], [1], 2-1208. Original plain wrappers with printed paper spine label, uncut and unopened. A remarkable survival. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers ABE-1572782508429

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Recherches sur le mouvements d'Uranus, pp. ...
Verlag: Paris: Bachelier
Erscheinungsdatum: 1846
Einband: Soft cover
Zustand: Fine
Auflage: 1st Edition