Excerpt from The Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art
The great discovery of the year is that of a Planet exterior to Uranus; with which, according to the Astronomer Royal, nothing in the whole history of astronomy can be compared. It has, however, become the subject of a national controversy; and this to such an extent, that we can only give the principle data.
In 1821, M. Alexis Bouvard published his table of Uranus; and a few years subsequently, it was found that the movements of the planet were not represented by them; therefore, they were not reducible to those formula which its simple position in space, and its relations to the other celestial bodies, required. In the Cambridge Observatory, and elsewhere, these anomalies were noted, and insisted on.
In 1834, Dr. Hussey requested the opinion of the Astronomer Royal upon the probability of the existence of a disturbing body exterior to Uranus; similar conjectures having been hazarded by Bouvard and Hansen. In 1837, M. E. Bouvard suggested a similar doctrine to the Astronomer Royal, who, in 1838, communicated to M. Schumacher, that the calculated distances of the planet were considerably too small. In 1844, M. Eugene Bouvard was continuing his attempts to either reconcile existing observations, or to settle the impossibility of their agreement. In the last week of October, 1845, Mr. J. C. Adams, of St. John's College, Cambridge, left at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, for the opinion of Professor Airy, the following paper: "According to my calculations, the observed irregularities in the motion of Uranus may be accounted for by supposing the existence of an exterior planet, the mass and orbit of which are as follows: -
Mean distance (assumed nearly in accordance with Bode's law) ... 38.4
Mean sidereal motion in 365. 1/4 days ... 1030.9
Mean longitude, Oct. 1, 1845 ... 323.34
Longitude of Perihelion ... 315.55
Eccentricity ... 0 1610
Mass (that of the sun being Unity) ... 0.0001656."
In July 29, Professor Challis began his search for the new planet, founded on Adams's elements, and, between this time and the end of October, found no less than 3,150 stars; having actually observed the planet on August 4 and 12, and September 24.
Nov. 10, 1845, M. Le Verrier read his first paper to the French Institute on the Theory of Uranus, demonstrating that no perturbations of the old planets would account for the movements of Uranus.
June 1, 1846, M. Le Verrier gave his second paper in the Comptes Rendus, admitting no second explanation but that of a new planet, and stating its longitude to be about 325, i.e., within a degree of Mr. Adams's calculations.
August 31, M. Le Verrier read his third paper to the Academy of Sciences, with the elements of the supposed planet in detail.
On Sept. 2, Mr. Adams communicated to the Astronomer Royal a second set of elements, with a comparison between the places as observed, and those calculated from both sets.
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