<p>For me, it looks like Max Wolf discovered <em>the movements</em> of the Wolf 359, see the (German) original publication from 1918 &quot;<a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1918AN....206..237W/abstract" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zwei Sterne mit großer Eigenbewegung in Leo</a>,&quot; but he does not mention which previous observations existed:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bMLqz.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bMLqz.png" alt="Image of 1918 article" /></a></p>
<p>Fun fact: The object was observed from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigstuhl_(Odenwald)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Königstuhl</a>, a peak next to the city of Heidelberg, Germany. That was back in the days when light pollution was not an issue yet.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-05T18:30:25.253Z
@MikeG Thanks for the polish of my post!
B--rian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-05T18:57:38.207Z
You're welcome. Nr. 699 here corresponds to Nr. 359 in Wolf's [1919 catalog](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1919VeHei...7..195W/abstract).
Mike G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-05T11:12:25.347Z
2021-03-05T18:10:11.410Z
2021-03-05T18:10:11.410Z
B--rian
<p>I always assumed that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_359" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wolf 359</a>'s discoverer had been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Wolf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Max Wolf</a>, but I just found out that he simply measured its high proper movement and included it in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Wolf#Star_catalog" rel="nofollow noreferrer">his star catalog</a>.</p>

<p>Since Wolf 359 is a very faint star that can only be observed with a large telescope it is clear that it was unknown in ancient times and that some astronomer must have been the first to observe its existence.</p>

<p>Are there any data on who was the first observer of Wolf 359? If not, in which star catalogue or other map was it first included?</p>

<observational-astronomy><history><star-catalogues><archaeoastronomy>
Who discovered Wolf 359?
Ginasius
# Who discovered Wolf 359?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-12)

I always assumed that [Wolf 359](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_359)'s discoverer had been [Max Wolf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Wolf), but I just found out that he simply measured its high proper movement and included it in [his star catalog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Wolf#Star_catalog).

Since Wolf 359 is a very faint star that can only be observed with a large telescope it is clear that it was unknown in ancient times and that some astronomer must have been the first to observe its existence.

Are there any data on who was the first observer of Wolf 359? If not, in which star catalogue or other map was it first included?

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, history, star-catalogues, archaeoastronomy


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-03-05. Score: 3

For me, it looks like Max Wolf discovered *the movements* of the Wolf 359, see the (German) original publication from 1918 "[Zwei Sterne mit großer Eigenbewegung in Leo](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1918AN....206..237W/abstract)," but he does not mention which previous observations existed:

[![Image of 1918 article](https://i.sstatic.net/bMLqz.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/bMLqz.png)

Fun fact: The object was observed from [Königstuhl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigstuhl_(Odenwald)), a peak next to the city of Heidelberg, Germany. That was back in the days when light pollution was not an issue yet.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @username_2 Thanks for the polish of my post!  
> **username_2**: You're welcome. Nr. 699 here corresponds to Nr. 359 in Wolf's [1919 catalog](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1919VeHei...7..195W/abstract).  

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