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Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers-Germany
Heinrich Olbers, a doctor in Germany, dedicated his top part of his house to oservatory work. Here he studied astronomy and calculated a comets orbit. On Jan 1, 1802 Olbers Identified Ceres. -
Caroline Herschel-English
At the start of her career, Herschel discovers 3 new nebulas in 1783. After moving to Bath, England with her brother, they began manufacturing and designing telescopes. Finally in 1786 Herschel discovers 8 comets. -
Johann Franz Encke-German
Johann Encke becomes an observer in Germany after liberation wars against Napoleon. In 1819 he calculates orbit of the 1795 comet seen by Herschel. Published calculations were done by his math teachers and is one of the few comets named after the observer. -
Wilhelm Beer-German
Beer was an inexperianced astronomer and a banker by day. In 1836 he created the most detailed mao of the moon. The map came with measurements of craters and mountains. -
Urbain Le Verrier-French
In 1845, Le Verrier discovers Neptune. Meanwhile, John Adams finishes his calculations as well. As a result both share the honor as discoverers of the planet. -
William Lassell-English
Lassell views "Le Verrier's planet" after it is published. While watching Neptune he notices rings. Shortly after, he notices a "satellite" which is named Triton. -
Cecelia Payne-Gaposchkin
In the 19th century, the temperatures of stars were unknown. Gaposchkin used the atomic structure to solve the problem. This discovery was used in her PhD thesis. -
Clyde Tombaugh
As a young kid, Tombaugh would create his own telescopes. His interests later as an astronomer landed him a job at an observatory. From there he discovered a nova in Corvus. -
Grote Reber
As a college student, the first radio waves were discovered in space. As an interested student he began saving to build his own telescope. In 1937 he built the first radio telescope. -
George Gamow
At George Washington University, Gamow studied the creation of the universe. His theory was unfinished because it only accounted for 99%. But he was not wrong, and Fred Hoyle completed his theory later on. -
Fred Whipple
As an astronomer, Whipple discovered 6 comets. He was also the first to suggest the comets were dirty snowballs. This theory caught on and changed comet research. -
Sir Fred Hoyle
Although he rejected the idea, Hoyle coined the phrase "Big Bang". But in 1953, Hoyle theorized carbon-12 was produce in stars. However, William Fowler was the ony one credited for the discovery with a Nobel prize. -
John A. Wheeler
After coining the term "black hole" Wheeler contributed to Einsteins theory of gravity. Also while helping discover nuclear fission. This contribution led to his involvement in the atomic bomb in WWII. -
Charles Thomas Bolton
Before confirming the existance of black holes Bolton contributed to astronomy. He was the first to make computer models of stellar atmospheres. All while researching at the University of Toronto. -
James Christy
Thought to be a lone planet, Christy proves this wrong. In '78 he discovers that Pluto has a moon.Noticing a sttrange object that appeared in time, he noticed a moon. -
Mike Brown
Bown is credited for discrediting Pluto. But in 2005 his discovery in the Kuiper belt change Pluto's status. The dwaraf planet Eris (like Pluto) changed its planet status.
