Johann Elert Bode was a German astronomer born on January 19, 1747, in Hamburg. He is best known for formulating the Bode's Law, which predicts the spacing of planets in the solar system. This empirical rule suggested a mathematical relationship between the distances of planets from the Sun. Bode also contributed to the field of astronomy through his work on star catalogs and the publication of the Astronomisches Jahrbuch, an astronomical yearbook. He played a significant role in promoting the study of astronomy in Germany during the late 18th century and early 19th century, passing away on November 23, 1826.