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Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier Biography
Mathematician / Astronomer
Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier was a French astronomer and mathematician who analyzed the orbit of Uranus and accurately predicted the existence of another planet nearby. His prediction led directly to the discovery of Neptune in 1846. An English astronomer, John Couch Adams, calculated the same thing independently and earlier, but Leverrier's work was published first. Leverrier is credited with coming up with the idea of daily weather reporting, and he also tried to prove the existence of another planet, Vulcan, near Mercury.
Other famous astronomers include Omar Khayyam, Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe.
Four Good Links
Urbain-Jean-Joseph Leverrier
The lowdown on Leverrier from Infoplease
Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier
Another brief profile, this one from the Columbia Encyclopedia
Neptune and Pluto
A history of the planets and their discovery
Heavenly Ghost
Great story about Leverrier's other work on Mercury's orbit
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
Best Known As
The mathematician who predicted the existence of Neptune