Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Karl Ludwig Hencke
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Hencke, Karl Ludwig
Quizzes
Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.
Faces of Science
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Related Questions
Read Next
Galaxy clusters like Abell 2744 can act as a natural cosmic lens, magnifying light from more distant, background objects through gravity. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope may be able to detect light from the first stars in the universe if they are gravitationally lensed by such clusters. (astronomy, space exploration, galaxies)
How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?
Planet Earth and lunar moon from space
Where Did the Moon Come From?
solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space
How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?
Arrangement of the phases of the moon in total eclipse with Blood Moon
9 Celestial Omens
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
6 Questions About the Sun Answered
Discover
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
Hencke, Karl Ludwig
Hencke, Karl Ludwig Karl Ludwig Hencke.

Karl Ludwig Hencke

German astronomer
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Quick Facts
Born:
April 8, 1793, Driesen, Brandenburg [now Drezdenko, Pol.]
Died:
Sept. 21, 1866, Marienwerder, Prussia [now Kwidzyn, Pol.]
Subjects Of Study:
asteroid
See all related content

Karl Ludwig Hencke (born April 8, 1793, Driesen, Brandenburg [now Drezdenko, Pol.]—died Sept. 21, 1866, Marienwerder, Prussia [now Kwidzyn, Pol.]) was an amateur astronomer who found the fifth and sixth minor planets to be discovered. Professional astronomers had largely given up the search for asteroids in 1816, when four were known. Hencke, a post office employee who eventually became postmaster, began his systematic search in 1830 and found Astraea (minor planet 5) on Dec. 8, 1845, and Hebe (minor planet 6) on July 1, 1847.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.