Wednesday Regency: Astronomy

Despite very clear class delineations, if you're talented enough, you can still make a name for yourself. Jean-Louis Pons is one such man, who managed to rise from poverty to the only person to discover 37 comets. It's a record, should Guinness ever decide to make it a category!


Jean-Louis started as the janitor. Yup. Then The Directors of the Observatory of Marseilles gave him lessons in astronomy. He learned and quickly.


On July 11, 1801 he discovered his first comet.

From Scientific Itinerari...