Legendre and Gauss both applied the method to the problem of determining, from astronomical observations, the orbits of bodies about the Sun (mostly comets, but also later the then newly discovered minor planets).
Legendre e Gauss aplicaron o método para o problema de determinar, a partir de observacións astronómicas, a órbitas dos corpos arredor do Sol (a maioría dos cometas e os recentemente descubertos planetas menores).