Nicole-Reine Lepaute

Nicole-Reine Lepaute (; , 5 January 1723 – 6 December 1788), also erroneously known as Hortense Lepaute, was a French astronomer and human computer. Lepaute along with Alexis Clairaut and Jérôme Lalande calculated the date of the return of Halley's Comet. Her other astronomical feats include calculating the 1764 solar eclipse and producing almanacs from 1759 to 1783. She was also a member of the Scientific . The asteroid 7720 Lepaute is named in her honour, as is the lunar crater Lepaute. Early life Nicole-Reine Lepaute was born on 5 January 1723 in the Luxembourg Palace in Paris as the daughter of Jean Étable, valet in the service of Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans. Her father had worked for the royal family for a long time, both in the service of the duchess de Berry and her sister Louise. Louise Elizabeth of Orleans is a widow of Louis of Spain. When her husband died, she returned to Paris and was given part of Luxembourg to live in and to house her staff members.^ She was the sixth of nine children. As a child she was described as precocious and intelligent, being mostly self-taught. She stayed up all night "devouring" books and read every book in the library, with Jérôme Lalande saying of her that even as a child "she had too much spirit not to be curious". Lepaute’s interest in astronomy had begun at a young age when she most likely witnessed a comet in the sky. She became eager to learn about it and started her curiosity journey when she started studying about comets. This led to one of the biggest discoveries of her time.^ In August 1748, she married Jean-André Lepaute, a royal clockmaker in the Luxembourg Palace.