Karl Ludwig Harding

Karl Ludwig Harding ( born September 29, 1765 in Lauenburg; † August 31, 1834 in Göttingen ) was a German astronomer.

Harding was the son of Pastor Carl Ludwig Harding. He studied theology at Göttingen and taught in Lilienthal near Bremen as tutor to the son of the bailiff Johann Hieronymus Schroeter, who founded the observatory Lilienthal.

From 1796 Harding worked as an " inspector " at the observatory and in 1800 was appointed Observer. On September 1, 1804, he discovered from there Juno, the third asteroid or asteroids in the solar system.

1805 Harding received a reputation as an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Göttingen, before he became a full professor in 1812. He carried out observations of comets, variable stars and nebulae and published a star catalog.

Karl Ludwig Harding died on August 31, 1834 in Göttingen. In recognition of his achievements, the asteroid (2003) Harding was named.

Publications

• Atlas novus coelestis. Göttingen ( 1822)