Question

List two to four people who contributed to the discovery of Neptune and their contribution.

Why was the discovery of Neptune so important?

Answer 1

1) September 23, 1846. The planet Neptune – now considered by most astronomers to be the outermost major planet in our solar system – was discovered on this date, using mathematics. Johann Gottfried Galle, Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier, and John Couch Adams all worked independently to help discover this world in 1846. Their separate work to find Neptune led to an international dispute as to whom attribute the discovery of the farthest planet of our solar system.

Neptune cannot be seen without a telescope. Its discovery didn’t come solely through the use of a telescope, though. It came from astronomers’ analysis of data related to Uranus’ orbit. Astronomer noticed discrepancies in Uranus’ observed position in contrast to its predicted position; the planet was not quite where it was mathematically predicted to be.The problem with the orbit of Uranus caused astronomers to begin speaking of another possible planet beyond it.

The French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier began using mathematics to try to locate mystery planet’s position in June 1845. The British John Couch Adams was also working on this problem mathematically. Neither knew of the other’s calculations.

On September 23, 1846, Galle used Le Verrier’s calculations to find Neptune only 1° off Le Verrier’s predicted position. The planet was then located 12° off Adams’ prediction.

2) The discovery of Neptune was important because it was the first planet to be discovered using mathematics. In other words the planet Neptune was mathematically predicted before it was directly observed. They figured out not only where the planet was, but also how much mass it had. It paved way for mathematical modelling for the astronomical predictions alongside the conventional, observational approach. Furthermore, it verified Newton’s law of universal gravitation.