Discovery of Neptune

The Discovery of Neptune

Neptune was discovered in September 1845. It was discovered by means of mathematics before being seen through a telescope.

It began in 1843 when John Adams, a young English astronomer and mathematician, began working to find thew location of the unknown planet. Adams predicted the planned

would be about 1.6 billion kilometres farther from the sun then Uranus. That’s when he completed his work in September 1845.

Also Urbain Leverriar, unknown to Adams, began working on the same project. By mid-1846, Leverriar also had predicted Neptune’s position. He also sent in similar to what Adams had discovered. To this day both of these bright-minded men take the credit for discovering Neptune.

Astronomers had noticed that Uranus, which they thought was the most distant planet, was not always in the position they predicted that it would be in. The force of gravity at some unknown planet seemed to be influencing the motion and position