Johann Gottfried Galle

Johann Gottfried Galle (June 9, 1812 – July 10, 1910) was a German astronomer at the Berlin Observatory who, with help from Urbain Le Verrier, sighted Neptune on September 23, 1846.

First Neptune observation

Galle's Ph.D. thesis finished in 1845 was a reduction and critical discussion of Ole Rømer's observation of Uranus on the days from October 20 to October 23, 1706. Around 1845 he sent a copy of his thesis to Urbain Le Verrier, but only received an answer a year later on September 18,1846. It reached Galle on September 23 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 Uranus.

Related Topics:
1845 - Ole Rømer - Uranus - October 20 - October 23 - 1706 - September 18 - 1846 - September 23

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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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