▁de cade , ▁it ▁was ▁noticed , ▁and ▁shown ▁by ▁Simon ▁New comb , ▁that ▁the ▁optim ism ▁had ▁been ▁unf ounded : ▁devi ations ▁between ▁computed ▁and ▁observed ▁positions ▁began ▁to ▁grow ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁showing ▁that ▁further ▁ref in ement ▁was ▁necessary . ▁ ▁For ▁some ▁years ▁Hans en ' s ▁theory ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁with ▁New comb ' s ▁corre ctions ▁( from ▁the ▁N aut ical ▁Al man ac ' s ▁issue ▁for ▁ 1 8 8 3 ), ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁eventually ▁( as ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 3 ) ▁su pers eded ▁by ▁E ▁W ▁Brown ' s ▁theory . ▁ ▁Hans en ▁twice ▁visited ▁Britain ▁and ▁was ▁twice ▁( in ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 0 ) ▁the ▁recip ient ▁of ▁the ▁Gold ▁Medal ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Astronom ical ▁Society . ▁He ▁communic ated ▁to ▁that ▁society ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁an ▁able ▁paper ▁on ▁a ▁long - period ▁lun ar ▁inequality ▁( Mem oir s ▁Roy . ▁A str . ▁Society , ▁x vi . ▁ 4 6 5 ), ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁Moon ' s ▁figure , ▁advoc ating ▁the ▁mistaken ▁hypothesis ▁of ▁its ▁de formation ▁by ▁a ▁huge ▁elev ation ▁directed ▁towards ▁the ▁Earth ▁( ib . ▁xx iv . ▁ 2 9 ). ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁C ople y ▁Medal ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁and ▁his ▁Sol ar