LE VERRIER (LEVERRIER), URBAIN JEAN JOSEPH. - PREPARING FOR, PREDICTING AND CONFIRMING THE EXISTENCE OF NEPTUNE.

Premier Mémoire sur la théorie d'Uranus. (Séance 10 Novembre 1845). (+) Recherches sur les mouvements d'Uranus. (Séance du Lundi 1er Juin 1846). (+) Sur la planète qui produit les anomalies observées dans le mouvement d'Uranus. Détermination de sa masse, de son orbite et de sa position actuelle.(Séance du Lundi 31 Aout 1846). (+) Sur la planéte qui produit les anomalies observées dans le mouvement d'Uranus. Cinquieme et derniere partie, relative à la détermination de la position du plan d l'orbite. (Séance du Lundi 5 Octobre 1846). (+) Comparaison des observations de la nouvelle planète; avec la théorie déduite des perturbations d'Uranus. (And) Planète le verrier. - Examen des remarques et des questions de priorité que la découverte de M. Le verrier a soulevées: par M. Arago. (Séance du Lundi 19 Octobre 1846). (+) Note sur la détermination approximative de la distance du soleil à planète Le verrier; par M. Binet. (And) Note de M. Le Verrier. (Séance du Lundi 26 Octobre 1846).

Paris, Bachelier, 1845 a. 1846.

4to. No wrappers. In: "Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des sciences", Vol. 21, No 19, Vol. 22, No 22, Vol. 23, Nos 9, 14, 16 a. 17. (6 entire issues offered). Le verrier's papers: pp. 1050-1055 (No 19), pp. 907-919 (no 22), pp. 428-438 (No 9), pp. 657-659, 659-643, 676 (No 14), pp. 741, 741-754, 754 (No 16), pp. 798-799, 799-800 (No 17). With title-pages to vol. 21,22 a. 23. Titlepages with a small stamp in upper corner and a perforated stamp to lower margin. Light yellowing to title-pages, otherwise clean and fine on good paper.

First printing of Le Verrier's importent and famous papers, predicting and confirming the discovery of the Planet Neptune, including the "preparatory" paper, the first paper on the anomalities in the orbit of Uranus, the calculations on which eventually leading to his prediction and discovery of a new planet, Neptune the following year, 1846.

"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" 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.: 49635