Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix

Antoine de Darquier Pellepoix ( born November 23, 1718, Toulouse, Haute- Garonne, † January 18, 1802 ) was a French astronomer.

Life and work

Darquier de Pellepoix worked in his hometown, inter alia, the 1733 founded Observatoire de Toulouse. The observations he made 1748-1773 he published in his book Observations Astronomiques faites à Toulouse (Avignon 1777).

When searching for the comet of 1779 erdrquier de Pellepoix discovered in January the Ring Nebula M57, just a few days before Charles Messier. He likened the appearance of M57 with that of a planet.

He created a catalog of positions of stars, which was then used by Jérôme Lalande in 1801 for his star catalog published between 1791 and 1798.

The extreme right-wing and anti-Semitic politician Louis Darquier falsely claimed to be a descendant of Antoine de Darquier Pellepoix.

Writings (selection )

• Letters on Practical Astronomy ( " Lettres sur l' astronomy pratique ", 1786). Crediting, Wroclaw 1791.