Lemonnier, Pierre Charles (1715–1799)
French astronomer and physicist at the Collège de France who studied the
Moon and the influence of Saturn on the motion
of Jupiter, determined the positions of
many stars, and conducted extensive research in terrestrial magnetism and
atmospheric electricity. His greatest claim to fame, however, is holding
the record for the greatest number of sightings of Uranus
– at least 10 between 1764 and 1771, including six in January 1769
alone – before the planet was officially discovered by William
Herschel. Lemonnier's failure to recognize
its true nature is explained by the fact that, at the beginning of 1769,
Uranus was near its stationary point,
so that its movement among the stars would not have been obvious.
Related category
• ASTRONOMERS
AND ASTROPHYSICISTS
Also on this site:
Encyclopedia
of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia
of History
BACK TO TOP
|
