He was born on 5 June 1819 near Launceston in Cornwall, a child of Thomas Adams, a poor farmer, and his wife Tabitha (Grylls), whose uncle was John Couch. His brother Thomas became a missionary, George a farmer and William Grylls Adams was a professor of astronomy. Brought up in a Wesleyan family he was educated at his cousin's school and won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge. His passion was astronomy and he is best remembered for predicting the existence of a major planet in the solar system, Neptune, before it could be observed by any telescope. He also worked on terrestrial magnetism and the theory of the moon's motions, as well as on the asteroids seen as meteor showers in November in England. On 2 May 1863 he married Elizabeth Bruce but they had no children. He became Director of Cambridge Observatory and died on 21 January 1892 and was buried at St Giles cemetery near the observatory.
He was born on 5 June 1819 near Launceston in Cornwall, a child of Thomas Adams, a poor farmer, and his wife Tabitha (Grylls), whose uncle was John Couch. His brother Thomas became a missionary, George a farmer and William Grylls Adams was a professor of astronomy. Brought up in a Wesleyan family he was educated at his cousin's school and won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge. His passion was astronomy and he is best remembered for predicting the existence of a major planet in the solar system, Neptune, before it could be observed by any telescope. He also worked on terrestrial magnetism and the theory of the moon's motions, as well as on the asteroids seen as meteor showers in November in England. On 2 May 1863 he married Elizabeth Bruce but they had no children. He became Director of Cambridge Observatory and died on 21 January 1892 and was buried at St Giles cemetery near the observatory.
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