Galileo saw Neptune 234 years before its discovery and took it for a star.

1612 · 1846 · apart: 234 years

He sketched it in December 1612 and January 1613; it was recognised as a planet only in 1846.

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The event

• Neptune found 'with the tip of a pen'1846 · Berlin Observatory. From the wobbles in Uranus's orbit, Urbain Le Verrier calculated where an unknown planet should be and wrote to Berlin. Johann Galle got the letter on 23 September 1846 and that same night found Neptune less than a degree from the predicted spot.

17th century · 19th century

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