Famous 18th Century Astronomers

Find out more about the greatest 18th Century Astronomers, including Pierre-Simon Laplace, William Herschel, Benjamin Banneker, Edmond Halley and Patrick Wilson.
Benjamin BannekerBenjamin Banneker
09 November 1731, American
Compiler of Almanacs
Pierre-Simon LaplacePierre-Simon Laplace
23 March 1749, French
Scientist

William HerschelWilliam Herschel
15 November 1738, German, British
Astronomer, Composer

Edmond HalleyEdmond Halley
08 November 1656, British
Astronomer

Caroline HerschelCaroline Herschel
16 March 1750, German
Astronomer

Anders CelsiusAnders Celsius
27 November 1701, Swedish
Astronomer, Physicist, Mathematician
Mikhail LomonosovMikhail Lomonosov
19 November 1711, Russian
Scientist, Poet, Geologist, Astronomer

Giovanni Domenico CassiniGiovanni Domenico Cassini
08 June 1625, Italian
Astronomer and Mathematician

Charles MessierCharles Messier
26 June 1730, French
Astronomer
Johann Heinrich LambertJohann Heinrich Lambert
26 August 1728, Swiss, German, French
Mathematician, Physicist and Astronomer

Joseph Louis LagrangeJoseph Louis Lagrange
25 January 1736, French, Italian
Mathematician and Astronomer
Carl F. GaussCarl F. Gauss
30 April 1777, German
Mathematician

Mary SomervilleMary Somerville
26 December 1780, British, Scottish
Mathematician, Linguist, Translator, Astronomer,

Carl Friedrich GaussCarl Friedrich Gauss
30 April 1777, German
Mathematician, Geophysicist, Astronomer, Science

Siméon Denis PoissonSiméon Denis Poisson
21 June 1781, French
Mathematician, Astronomer, Physicist, University

François AragoFrançois Arago
26 February 1786, Spanish, French
Astronomer, Mathematician, Physicist, Politician,
Ernst ChladniErnst Chladni
30 November 1756, German
Physicist, Astronomer

David BrewsterDavid Brewster
11 December 1781, British, Scottish
Botanist, Civil engineer, Physicist, Engineer,

David RittenhouseDavid Rittenhouse
08 April 1732, American
Astronomer

Joseph von FraunhoferJoseph von Fraunhofer
06 March 1787, German
Physicist, Astronomer, Chemist
Jean Sylvain BaillyJean Sylvain Bailly
15 September 1736, French
Astronomer, Politician, Mathematician

Roger Joseph BoscovichRoger Joseph Boscovich
Croatian
 
Charles MasonCharles Mason
31 March 1728, British
astronomer

Friedrich BesselFriedrich Bessel
22 July 1784, German
Astronomer, Mathematician, University teacher

Pierre Louis MaupertuisPierre Louis Maupertuis
17 July 1698, French
astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, physicist
John FlamsteedJohn Flamsteed
19 August 1646, British
Astronomer

Nathaniel BowditchNathaniel Bowditch
26 March 1773, American
Mathematician, Astronomer, Actuary, Physicist,
Giuseppe PiazziGiuseppe Piazzi
16 July 1746, Italian
Astronomer, University teacher, Mathematician

Johann Elert BodeJohann Elert Bode
German
 

Nevil MaskelyneNevil Maskelyne
 
Jean-Baptiste BiotJean-Baptiste Biot
21 April 1774, French
Mathematician, Physicist, Astronomer, Civil

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Edward SabineEdward Sabine
14 October 1788, Irish
Astronomer
Antonio de UlloaAntonio de Ulloa
12 January 1716, Spanish
Astronomer, Explorer, Meteorologist

Alexis ClairautAlexis Clairaut
13 May 1713, French
Mathematician

James BradleyJames Bradley
 

Charles Marie de La CondamineCharles Marie de La Condamine
28 January 1701, French
Explorer
Jérôme LalandeJérôme Lalande
11 July 1732, French
Astronomer
Jean Baptiste Joseph DelambreJean Baptiste Joseph Delambre
French
 

Alexander WilsonAlexander Wilson
1714 AD, British, Scottish
Astronomer

John GoodrickeJohn Goodricke
17 September 1764, Dutch
Amateur astronomer

Colin CampbellColin Campbell
26 January 1752, Jamaican, Scottish
Astronomer
William WalesWilliam Wales
31 January 1734, British
Mathematician

Heinrich Wilhelm OlbersHeinrich Wilhelm Olbers
11 October 1758, German
 

Maria Margarethe KirchMaria Margarethe Kirch
25 February 1670, German
Astronomer

Johann BodeJohann Bode
19 January 1747, German