The Planet That Got Away

Old Millhillian James Challis was a Director of the Cambridge Observatory in the mid 1800s. In 1846 he noted what became known as Neptune in his log-book but failed to recognise it as a planet, despite observations lasting many weeks. The distinction of its discovery therefore went to Galle and d’Arrest of Berlin. Challis was distraught at this turn of events – all the more so as he was pilloried in the British press for his oversight.