1812-1910

German astronomer who first saw Neptune at the position predicted by Urbain Leverrier (1811-1877) and John Couch Adams (1819-1892). An astronomer at the Berlin Academy of Sciences, Galle was involved in creating a survey of stars in the zodiacal regions of the sky to assist in locating asteroids. He was asked by Leverrier to help locate Neptune, whose position Leverrier had calculated. Using the then unpublished survey, Galle and his assistant, Heinrich d'Arrest (1822-1875), discovered Neptune within the first few minutes of their search.