JOHAXX GOTTFRIED GALLE. 



Bv F. A. BELLAMY. -\LA.. F.K.A.S. 



(Continued from Page 315.1 



Besides the separate publications mentioned, Galle 

 contributed papers to various Societies and periodi- 

 cals : the only publication distributed in the name of 

 Breslau Observatory, and edited b\- Galle, was a 

 quarto volume of one hundred and sixtv-six pages 

 in the year 1879 ; its title is Mitteilitngen der 

 Koniglichen Universitdts-Stenncarte zit Breslau iibcr 

 die liier bislier gexconneneii Rcsiilfafe fiir die }>eo- 

 graphischen iind kliinatolo^iischen Ortsverhdltitiase 

 iiebst eiiier ZiiSLiinnien-stelhiiit< vcrschiedener, die 

 Sfernwarte betreifender geschichtlicher Xachrichten 

 itnd daraiif beziiglicher Zahlenaiigabeii mid TabeUen. 

 Another important investigation in which Galle 

 was the greatest contributor, was upon the disappear- 

 ance of Biela"s comet, which had been observed, in 

 December, 1845, to divide into two, and has not been 

 seen since. Galle, D'Arrest (who was Galle's junior 

 colleague at Berlin in 1847^ and the veteran Dr. E. 

 Weiss, who is still living, working along the lines of 

 Schiaparelli"s investigations, who was doubtless 

 incited by H. A. Newton's highly successful accom- 

 plishment in dealing with the Leonids, were able, 

 independentlv, to establish beyond doubt, that the 

 orbit of Biela"s comet and the radiant point of the 

 unusual displavs of meteors observed in 1798, 1838, 

 1847 and other dates were coincident ; this stream or 

 swarm of meteors was travelling in the same path 

 as that which Biela"s comet occupied until its final 

 disappearance as a comet : their papers are in the 

 Ast. Nach. for the vear 1867. Though their evidence 

 was strong, some wanted proof that those meteors, 

 now called Andromedes*. which periodically appear 

 near y Andromedae, were portions of the disintegrated 

 comet known as Biela"s. As the periodic orbit of 

 the comet was 6'6 vears at a mean distance of i'5 

 from the sun, one had not to wait long. It was 

 calculated by ^^'eiss and Galle that in 1872 the comet 

 would be nearest the sun, and the orbit would nearly 

 intersect that of the earth in November, when the 

 earth would be in a similar position in space : they 

 predicted that, instead of the lost comet appear- 

 ing, its place would be taken by a meteoric 

 shower or display : Galle predicted the day to be 

 November 27th : he was not twenty-four hours 

 wrong, for at sunset on November 28th the 

 -Andromedes storm broke forth and meteors appeared 

 at the rate of some hundreds a minute, as did also a 

 number of immense fireballs. At the return of the 

 swarm in 1885 (November) I was a fortunate 

 observer, though I could only spare odd minutes 

 from transit-circle work. In that year the display 

 was well observed, and considered to surpass in 

 magnificence and number any appearance before 



or since : in fact the recent displays have d\s indled 

 and been so poor that there is a probability that the 

 earth now only encounters the outlying members 

 of the stream. 



If none of the facts stated were sufficient to 

 carry Galle's name to posterity as an important 

 discoverer of astronomical phenomena, and to keep 

 his name green and highly-esteemed among 

 astronomers and in all observatories, there is still 

 one other discover}- of historical and epoch-making 

 importance to the credit of Galle not yet referred to : 

 it was he who first knowingly observed the planet 

 Neptune. 



To deal adequately with the complete account 

 of the discoverv of Neptune would occupy many 

 pages of this magazine, and far exceed the length 

 intended for this article. Nevertheless, any account 

 of Galle would lack completeness and justice to his 

 name which omitted some detailed reference thereto ; 

 it is hoped that endeavours to keep the account to 

 brief limits will neither omit important facts nor 

 fail to give due praise to others who were con- 

 cerned in the discovery of the planet. 



The discovery of Neptune is among the most 

 interesting, most brilliant, and most important 

 achievements in Astronomy of the nineteenth 

 centur\-. About the year 1843 J. C. Adams com- 

 menced his investigations upon the disturbances 

 which affected the movement of Uranus: after two 

 vears work he informed Prof. Challis of the result 

 of his calculations, which was to the effect that he 

 gave the approximate elements and the position in 

 which the planet must be at a particular time. In 

 1845 (October), Adams also sent similar information 

 to the Astronomer Royal, but owing to the proverbial 

 red tape and super-scrupulousness, and to the natural 

 disinclination to help on others, for, to use his own 

 w ords. he has stated " I have not directly contributed 

 either to the theoretical or to the observing parts of 

 the discovery," the matter was shelved until Le 

 \'errier. who had, also in 1845, been independently 

 investiaratin? the movements of Uranus and the 

 probable existence of another and unknown dis- 

 turbing planet, read his second paper before the 

 French Academy in 1846 (June) ; his third paper 

 was read on August 31st and predicted the position 

 in which the body would be found. Le \'errier's 

 second memoir was in Airy's hands in 1846, June 

 24th, and he was evidently surprised to find that the 

 predicted place was only one degree from that 

 predicted by Adams nearly a year before. Some 

 attempts were made in July and August to recover 

 the nine months lost, from the search in England, but 



'•' Or ."Indroinedids as more generally used. 



373 



