Which observer finally demonstrated stellar parallax in 1838, confirming Earth's motion?

Answer

Friedrich Bessel

The absence of observable stellar parallax remained a major empirical hurdle for the acceptance of the Copernican model after Galileo's initial observations. While the Earth's movement around the Sun demanded that nearby stars should appear to shift slightly relative to background stars over the course of a year (parallax), the immense distances involved meant this angular shift was infinitesimally small, far exceeding the resolving power of even the best telescopes of the 17th and early 18th centuries. The telescope defined the problem, creating the need for instruments sensitive enough to measure this minute angular shift. It took centuries of refinement in optical engineering and instrument stability before an observer, Friedrich Bessel, finally succeeded in measuring this minute shift in 1838, providing the definitive confirmation of the Earth's annual orbital motion.

Which observer finally demonstrated stellar parallax in 1838, confirming Earth's motion?

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