Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (15 May 1713 – 21 March 1762) was a French astronomer.
He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become standard. He also calculated a table of eclipses for 1800 years.
In honor of his contribution to the study of the southern hemisphere sky, a 60-cm telescope at Reunion Island will be named the La Caille Telescope.
Read more about Nicolas Louis De Lacaille: Biography, Measuring The Southern Arc of Meridian, Main Works, Further Reading
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