Karl Ludwig Harding

Karl Ludwig Harding (29 September 1765 – 31 August 1834) was a German astronomer, who discovered 3 Juno, the third asteroid of the main-belt in 1804.[2][3] The lunar crater Harding and the asteroid 2003 Harding are named in his honor.[4]

Karl Ludwig Harding
Born(1765-09-29)29 September 1765
Lauenburg/Elbe, Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg
Died31 August 1834(1834-08-31) (aged 68)
Göttingen, Kingdom of Hanover
EducationUniversity of Göttingen
Known for3 Juno, astronomical discoveries
AwardsFellow of the Royal Society
Lalande Prize
Minor planets discovered: 1 [1]
3 Juno1 September 1804MPC

Harding was born in Lauenburg. From 1786–89, he was educated at the University of Göttingen, where he studied theology, mathematics, and physics.[3] In 1796 Johann Hieronymus Schröter hired Harding as a tutor for his son. Schröter was an enthusiastic astronomer, and Harding was soon appointed observer and inspector in his observatory.

In 1800, he was among the 24 astronomers invited to participate in the celestial police, a group dedicated to finding additional planets in the solar system. As part of the group, in 1804, Harding discovered Juno at Schröter's observatory. In the same year he was appointed professor of astronomy in Göttingen and left Lilienthal, where his successor became Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel.

In addition to Juno, he discovered three comets and the variable stars R Virginis, R Aquarii, R Serpentis and S Serpentis.[5]

He also published:[2]

  • Atlas novus coelestis (1808–1823; re-edited by Jahn, 1856) which catalogued 120,000 stars
  • Kleine astronomische Ephemeriden (edited with Wiessen, 1830–35)
  • the fifteenth in the series of Sternkarten of the Berlin Academy's publications (1830)

References
  1. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. May 23, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  2. Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Harding, Karl Ludwig" . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  3. Hockey, Thomas (2009). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Springer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-387-31022-0. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  4. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2003) Harding". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2003) Harding. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 162. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2004. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  5. Zsoldos, E. (1994). "Three Early Variable Star Catalogues". Journal for the History of Astronomy. 25 (2): 92–98. Bibcode:1994JHA....25...92Z. doi:10.1177/002182869402500202. S2CID 117099222.
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