Heinrich Louis d'Arrest

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Heinrich Louis d'Arrest
Heinrich Louis d'Arrest
Heinrich Louis d'Arrest
Born (July 13, 1822
Berlin
Died June 14, 1875
Copenhagen
Nationality Germany
Known for Neptune
Notable awards Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society

Heinrich Louis d'Arrest (July 13, 1822June 14, 1875) was a Prussian astronomer, born in Berlin. His name is sometimes given as Heinrich Ludwig d'Arrest.

Asteroids discovered: 1
76 Freia October 21, 1862

While still a student, d'Arrest was party to Johann Gottfried Galle's search for Neptune. On September 23, 1846, he suggested that a recently drawn chart of the sky, in the region of Urbain Le Verrier's predicted location, could be compared with the current sky to seek the displacement characteristic of a planet, as opposed to a stationary star. Neptune was discovered that very night.

D'Arrest's later work at the Leipzig Observatory led him, in 1851, to the discovery of the comet named for him (formally designated 6P/d'Arrest). He also studied asteroids (he discovered 76 Freia) and nebulae.

He won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1875.

He died in Copenhagen, Denmark.

D'Arrest crater on the Moon is named after him, as well as a crater on the Martian satellite Phobos and the asteroid 9133 d'Arrest.

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