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Notwithstanding the beautiful developments of celestial mechanics reached by Laplace at the close of the eighteenth century, there was made a discovery on the first day of the present century which presented a problem seemingly beyond the power of that analysis. We refer to the discovery of Ceres by Piazzi in Italy, which became known in Germany just after the philosopher Hegel had published a dissertation proving a priori that such a discovery could not be made. From the positions of the planet observed by Piazzi its orbit could not be satisfactorily calculated by the old methods, and it remained for the genius of Gauss to devise a method of calculating elliptic orbits which was free from the assumption of a small eccentricity and inclination. Gauss' method was developed further in his Theoria Motus. The new planet was re-discovered with aid of Gauss' data by Olbers, an astronomer who promoted science not only by his own astronomical studies, but also by discerning and directing towards astronomical pursuits the genius of Bessel.

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel[91] (1784–1846) was a native of Minden in Westphalia. Fondness for figures, and a distaste for Latin grammar led him to the choice of a mercantile career. In his fifteenth year he became an apprenticed clerk in Bremen, and for nearly seven years he devoted his days to mastering the details of his business, and part of his nights to study. Hoping some day to become a supercargo on trading expeditions, he became interested in observations at sea. With a sextant constructed by him and an ordinary clock he determined the latitude of Bremen. His success in this inspired him for astronomical study. One work after another was mastered by him, unaided, during the hours snatched from