ENCKE, JOHANN FRANZ

(17911865), a German astronomer, studied under Gau at G6ttingen, He served in the army from 1813-15. By 1822 he was director of the observatory of Seeberg, near Gotha. Through Be el’s influence he became secretary of the Academy of Science at Berlin, 1825. and director of the observatory there. He superintended the execution of the star- “maps of Berlin Academy, 1830-59, and the erection of the new observatory, 1832-35. He is most famous for his discu ion of the orbit of the comet discovered by Pons, 1819. It has since been known as E.’s comet, and has the shortest known period of about three and one third years. HE. also wrote Die Entfernung der Sonne, 1822-24 (two tracts based on the transits of Venus, 1761 and 1769). He edited the Berlin A str ono misc hes Jahrbuch from 1830, and i ued. four vols. of Astronomishe Beobachtungen auf der Sternwarte zu Berlin, 1840-56. See Lirz spy Bruuvs, 1869.