John Couch Adams (1819-1892) was a British mathematician and astronomer best known for his prediction of the existence and position of Neptune. Here are some key points about his life and work:

• Early Life: Adams was born in Laneast, Cornwall, England, and showed an early interest in mathematics and astronomy.
• Education: He attended St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he excelled in mathematics and graduated as Senior Wrangler (top of his class).
• Discovery of Neptune: In 1841, Adams began investigating discrepancies in the orbit of Uranus, which led him to predict the position of an unknown planet. Independently, the French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier made similar calculations, and the planet Neptune was discovered by Johann Gottfried Galle at the Berlin Observatory in 1846.
• Career: Adams held several academic positions, including Professor of Mathematics at the University of St. Andrews and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry at Cambridge.
• Contributions: Besides his work on Neptune, Adams also studied meteor showers, the Moon’s motion, and terrestrial magnetism.
• Legacy: Adams’ contributions to astronomy are commemorated by the Adams Prize, awarded by the University of Cambridge, and by having a crater on the Moon, Neptune’s outermost known ring, and the asteroid 1996 Adams named in his honor.