LE VERRIER (LEVERRIER), URBAIN JEAN JOSEPH. - THE EXISTANCE OF NEPTUNE PREDICTED.

Recherches sur les mouvements d'Uranus. (Séance du Lundi 1er Juin 1846).

Paris, Bachelier, 1846. 4to. No wrappers. In: "Comptes Rendu hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences", Vol. 22, No 22. Pp. (893-) 928. (Entire issue offered). Le Verrier's paper: pp. 907-018.

First appearance of Le Verrier's paper in which he postulated the existance of a new planet on mathematical premises from the gravitational disturbencies of Uranus.

"In 1846 John Cauch Adams... and Urban J. Leverrier... simultaneously and independently determined the location of a possible new planet... In 1845 he wrote of his findings of the mathematical location of a new planet to Sir George Bidell Airy,,, Because Adams was unknown, his letter was put aside. Meanwhile the same perturbations of Uranus had become of interest to Leverrier. On July 1(should be June !), 1846 he presented a paper "Recherches sur les mouvements d'Uranus" (the paper offered) to the Academie des Sciences inParis. When Airy realized that Leverrier and Adams had reached the same conclusions, he hastened to suggest that a search be made for the newplanert. Shortly hereafter it was seen bur not recognized. About a week before it was found in England, it was discovered by Galle in Berlin on information supplied by Leverrier. Thus, the honour of the discovery, or even co-discovery of the new planet, Neptune, was lost to Adams and credited to Leverrier.... Adams paper was reade before the Royal Astronomical Society, November 13, 1846, and was published in 1847. (Milestones p. 40).

Milestones of Science No 132. - Dibner No. 16.

Order-nr.: 47206