John Flamsteed
English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Flamsteed FRS (19 August 1646 – 31 December 1719) was an English astronomer. He was the first Astronomer Royal, appointed in 1675.
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
John Flamsteed | |
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Born | 19 August 1646 |
Died | 31 December 1719 (aged 73) |
Nationality | English |
Alma mater | Jesus College, Cambridge |
Known for | First Astronomer Royal |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Astronomy |
Influenced | Joseph Crosthwait Abraham Sharp |
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Flamsteed calculated the solar eclipses of 1666 and 1668.
He was responsible for several of the earliest recorded sightings of the planet Uranus, which he mistook for a star and catalogued as '34 Tauri'. The first of these was in December 1690, which remains the earliest known sighting of Uranus by an astronomer.