卡尔·路德维希·哈丁1765—1834

哈丁出生于劳恩堡。1796年，约翰·希罗尼穆斯·施罗特雇用哈丁为他的儿子的家庭教师。1804年，哈丁在施罗特天文台发现婚神星之后，就前往哥廷根当高斯的助手。

除了婚神星之外，他还发现3颗彗星，与出版登录了12,000颗恒星的星表：《Atlas novus coelestis》。

在月球上有一座环形山以他为名，第2003号小行星也命名为哈丁。

Karl Ludwig Harding (29 September 1765 – 31 August 1834) was a German astronomer, who discovered Juno, the third asteroid of the main-belt in 1804.

Life and career

Harding was born in Lauenburg. From 1786–1789, he was educated at the University of Göttingen, where he studied theology, mathematics, and physics. In 1796, Johann Hieronymus Schröter hired Harding as a tutor for his son. Schröter was an enthusiastic astronomer and owner of a well-equipped observatory in Lilienthal near Bremen, where Harding was soon appointed observer and inspector.

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 next year he left Lilienthal, where his successor became Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, as he was appointed extraordinary professor of astronomy at the University of Göttingen, since 1812 as ordinary professor. He worked at Göttingen Observatory, since 1807 as colleague of Carl Friedrich Gauss, until his sudden death in 1834.

In addition to Juno, he discovered three comets and the variable stars R Virginis, R Aquarii, R Serpentis and S Serpentis. Furthermore, he found some new nebulae, among them being the Helix Nebula or "the Eye of God". His main opus was the Atlas novus coelestis, the first star atlas without splendid but confusing mythological figures.

Honours and awards

Harding was corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Göttingen since 1803 and full member since 1806, corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences since 1810, elected as member of the Royal Society in London in 1806, and associate member of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1821. From the government he was awarded the title "Hofrath" (Councillor of the court).

In 1804, he was awarded the Lalande Prize.

The lunar crater Harding and the asteroid 2003 Harding are named in his honor.