Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician, astronomer, geodesist, and physicist who contributed to many fields in mathematics and science. He ranks among history's most influential mathematicians and has been referred to as the "Prince of Mathematicians". He was director of the Göttingen Observatory and professor for astronomy for nearly half a century, from 1807 until his death in 1855.

Göttingen Observatory is a German astronomical observatory located in Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.