1791-1865

German astronomer known for his mathematical work in astronomy, especially on short periodic comets. Following the discovery of a comet with a very short orbiting period around the Sun (3.3 years), Encke developed (in 1819) the mathematical formulae needed to calculate the orbits of this and other short periodic comets. During his life Encke worked at a number of German universities, and he was a professor in Berlin until 1863, two years before his death.