Philippe Gustave le Doulcet, Comte de Pontécoulant

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Philippe Gustave Doulcet, Comte De Pontécoulant (1795-1874) was a French astronomer.

He was born the younger son of Louis Gustave le Doulcet, Comte de Pontécoulant, the brother of Louis-Adolphe Pontécoulant. After 1811 he served in the army until 1849. Following his retirement he dedicated himself to the study of mathematics and astronomy.

In 1829 he used the mathematical methods of Poisson and Lagrange to successfully predicted the return of Halley's comet with good precision. His prediction of the perihelion passage was correct to within two days.[1]

He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences. Pontécoulant crater on the Moon was named after him.

[edit] Bibliography

  • 1829-1846, "Théorie Analytique du Système du Monde", Paris.
  • 1840, "Trait l'élémentaire de Physique Céleste", Paris, 2 volumes.
  • 1864, "Notice sur la comète de Halley et ses apparitions successives de 1531 à 1910", Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des sciences, 58, 706-709

[edit] References

  1. ^ George Forbes, "History of Astronomy".
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