Who discovered the planet Neptune?

Neptune will appear directly opposite the sun in the sky tomorrow (Aug. 29), but despite the potentially clear view of the planet from Earth, the truth about the person who first discovered the distant world remains cloudy. read more

The mathematician Alexis Bouvard published a series of astronomical tables detailing the orbit of Uranus. Over time, several astronomers realized that there had to be some additional planet deeper out in the Solar System that was influencing the motion of Uranus with its gravity. read more

John Herschel almost discovered Neptune the same way his father, William Herschel, had discovered Uranus in 1781, by chance observation. In an 1846 letter to Wilhelm Struve, John Herschel states that he observed Neptune during a sweep of the sky on July 14, 1830. read more