Nicholas Louis de Lacaille was an 18th-century French astronomer known for his significant contributions to the field of astronomy. Born on March 15, 1713, in France, he is best remembered for his work in mapping the southern skies. He cataloged over 10,000 stars and introduced 14 new constellations, many of which are still recognized today. Lacaille's most notable work, the Catalogus Stellarum Australium, was published in 1756 and provided a comprehensive list of southern stars. He also made important advancements in the measurement of stellar parallax and the determination of the distances to stars, laying the groundwork for future astronomical research.