1/16/2024 0 Comments Jupiter through telescopeGerman astronomer Johan Elert Bode proposed the name Uranus instead in Greek mythology Uranus was the father of Saturn and grandfather of Jupiter. Unsurprisingly, other astronomers in Europe were much less keen that the heavenly body should celebrate George III. ![]() Indeed Herschel's contemporaries celebrated his achievements as equivalent to those of the explorer Captain James Cook: 'He may justly be deemed among astronomers what Cook is among navigators, the first of his profession, the explorer of worlds unknown, and the illustrator of the celestial, as our great navigator was of the terrestrial, globe’ ( The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, Volume 55, Part I, 1785). Naming the discovery after the King echoed a longstanding tradition in exploration of naming newly-encountered lands or geographical features after patrons or monarchs. King George III was delighted by the new planet-not least because Herschel had strategically chosen to name it Georgium Sidus ('Georgian Star') after him-and soon offered Herschel a pension that allowed him to give up music and devote all his time to astronomy. ![]() In November 1781 he was awarded the coveted Copley Medal of the Royal Society. Herschel quickly became a celebrity both within and beyond the scientific world. Further investigation confirmed that it wasn't a comet at all, but a previously unknown planet. He informed Maskelyne, who after several unsuccessful attempts to spot the object himself, made a close study of its orbit. He concluded from its movement that it was too close to Earth to be a star, and instead presumed it must be a comet. A few days later he sighted it again, but found it had moved. Portrait of Sir William Herschel shown holding a strip of paper entitled 'The Georgian Planets with its satellites' to celebrate his discoveryĭuring observations on 13 March 1781, Herschel spotted a curious object in the sky, that he initially assumed was a star. They became firm friends, and Watson invited Herschel to be a founder member of the new Bath Literary and Philosophical Society. In 1779, Dr William Watson, a Fellow of the Royal Society, encountered Herschel observing with his telescope in the street. During the 1770s he received visits from high-profile members of the scientific community, including the Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne. Herschel's perseverance paid off, and he began to acquire a reputation for the quality of the telescopes he made. She assisted Herschel both with the polishing and during their punishing nights of astronomical observations. Caroline, despite her initial bewilderment at the house being converted into a workshop, soon embraced astronomical pursuits herself. In between his musical commitments, Herschel spent hours working at his speculum mirrors, before building them into telescopes and using them to study the sky. Then the metal was ground and polished with ever finer abrasives, in order to achieve a perfect light-focussing curve and extreme shine. First, a 'blank' was cast from a shiny metal alloy known as speculum. In the 1700s, before mechanised manufacturing techniques, producing mirrors was time consuming and required minute attention to detail. The key component of a reflecting telescope is the mirror which gathers light from distant celestial objects. Dissatisfied with the results he obtained with hired instruments, he decided to make his own reflecting telescopes. Herschel had no intention of remaining an armchair astronomer, wanting instead to observe the sky for himself. He devoured James Ferguson's book Astronomy explained upon Sir Isaac Newton’s principles, and made easy to those who have not studied mathematics, which, despite its unwieldy title, was a popular introduction to the subject. While in England, Herschel developed a passionate interest in astronomy. His younger sister Caroline joined him there from Hanover to train as a singer. He pursued musical positions around the country, eventually settling in Bath in 1772. By the 1760s, work was scarce and Herschel moved to London to make a living, also harbouring ambitions to make his name as a composer. Following the family tradition, he trained as a musician and joined the Hanoverian band of the foot guards. Herschel himself was also misled initially, thinking the planet was a comet.įriedrich Wilhelm Herschel- only later would he adopt the anglicised spelling of his name-was born in Hanover, now part of Germany, in 1738. ![]() Strictly speaking, Uranus had been seen by many people before Herschel observed it through his telescope, but its dimness and small size led to it being classified as a star. William Herschel, astronomer and musician, is the man credited with this discovery. Image source for Engraving of William Herschel, shows a cameo style image, he is seated, look right and dressed in a coat with High necked dress shirt
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