Leverrier, Urbain Jean Joseph

The French astronomer Le Verrier (Leverrier, Urbain Jean Joseph) (1811-1877) was born in the small town of St. Lo in Normandy to the family of a humble servant. In 1833, Mr.. graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris. In 1846, Mr.. Verrier, who was elected a member of the Paris Academy of Sciences, chair of celestial mechanics at the University of Paris, 1854, Mr.. became director of the Paris Observatory.
Works Verrier devoted to resolving the problems of celestial mechanics. In 1839, Mr.. he gave to the Paris Academy of Sciences report "On the secular perturbations of planetary orbits, examining questions about the stability of the Solar System. In subsequent years he worked on the theory of motion of Mercury, and in 1843-1845 he. undertook an investigation of certain short-period comets.

In 1845, Mr.. Leverrier, on the proposal of the Director of the Paris Observatory, Argo, took up the study of irregularities in the motion of the planet Uranus, and showed that their cause - are outside the orbit of Uranus unknown planet. In 1846, Mr.. he calculated the position in the sky of this planet, later named Neptune. German astronomer Galle discovered a new planet in a place designated Verrier.

Discovery of Neptune with the help of predicting Verrier - one of the biggest events in the field of theoretical astronomy.

Being engaged in the theory of planetary motion, Verrier until the end of life working on the calculation of tables, different high accuracy. The theory of the planets Verrier was used to compile astronomical ephemeris - tables of the solar system.