Olbers

Olbers, HEINRICH WILHELM MATTHÄUS, physician and astronomer, was born at Arbergen, a village of Bremen, October 11, 1758, studied medicine at Göttingen from 1777 till 1780, and subsequently practised at Bremen. In 1811 he was a successful competitor for the prize proposed by Napoleon for the best 'Memoir on the Croup.' He became known as an astronomer by his calculation of the orbit of the comet of 1779. He discovered the minor planets Pallas (1802) and Vesta (1807); and in 1781 he had the honour of first rediscovering the planet Uranus. He also discovered five comets in 1798, 1802, 1804, 1815, and 1821, all of which, with the exception of that of 1815 (hence called Olbers' comet), had been some days previously observed at Paris. His observations, calculations, and notices of various comets, which are of inestimable value to astronomers, were published in various forms. Olbers also made some important researches on the probable lunar origin of meteoric stones, and invented a method for calculating the velocity of falling stars. He died at Bremen, 2d March 1840. His correspondence with Bessel was edited by Erman (1852).