Adrien Auzout [pronounced in French somewhat like o-zoo] (28 January 1622 – 23 May 1691) was a French astronomer. He was born in Rouen, France, the eldest child of a clerk in the court of Rouen. His educational background is unknown, although he may have attended the Jesuit college in Rouen. Adrien left for Paris during the 1640s, where he developed an interest in astronomy and became well known in academic circles. In 1664–1665 he made observations of comets, and argued in favor of their following elliptical or parabolic orbits (in this he was opposed by his rival Johannes Hevelius). Adrien was briefly a member of the Académie Royale des Sciences from 1666 to 1668 (he may have left due to a dispute) and a founding member of the Paris Observatory. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Socie