At that period there was keen popular interest in astronomy, and in many Paris squares, astronomers with terrestrial refractors gave talks on astronomy for a small sum. Léon Joubert created a observatory for scientific research and popularisation, allowing anyone to learn about the universe and use good instruments. He made 120 instruments: refractors, reflectors, projectors, and photographic instruments.

Hermann Goldschmidt (1802–1866), born at Frankfurt am Main 17 June 1802, had poor health, became a painter and sought his fortune in Paris. He became an astronomer by accident after following a course of lectures at the Sorbonne given by Le Verrier. From a modest studio on the 6th floor of an old house in the heart of Paris, he discovered 14 minor planets between 1852 and 1861, the first being called Lutetia by Arago.