Alexis Bouvard

Alexis Bouvard ( * June 27, 1767 in Contamines, † June 7, 1843 in Paris) was a French astronomer.

Life and work

Bouvard was director of the Paris Observatory and discovered eight comets. He also calculated positions of the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Tables of the orbit of Uranus led to discrepancies with his observations. He concluded on the existence of another planet, which was then later with Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto found.

He brought Jean -Félix Adolphe Gambart to the fact that these Astronomy studied.

The moon valley Vallis Bouvard was named after him in 1970.