Snapshots in History: March 13: Remembering William Herschel and the Discovery of Uranus
On March 13 and beyond, take a moment to remember British astronomer (and music composer) Sir (Frederick) William Herschel (Born: November 15, 1738; Died: August 25, 1822) for his discovery of the planet Uranus on March 13, 1781. Born Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in Hannover, Germany, Herschel migrated to Great Britain at nineteen (19) years of age. In 1773, William Herschel began an interest in astronomy that would last for the rest of his life, building his first large telescope in 1774, and carrying out sky surveys for a (9) nine-year period with the purpose of finding double stars. During the course of this celestial odyssey, Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, the first planet in our solar system to be discovered in more modern times.
William Herschel developed the use of astronomical spectrophotometry to study wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from different sources (including visible light) by using prisms and equipment measuring temperature. In this regard, Herschel is credited with the discovery of infrared light/radiation. Herschel also calculated a more specific rotational period for the planet Mars and detected seasonal changes in the Martian polar ice caps. He also discovered two (2) moons of both Uranus (Titania and Oberon) and Mars (Enceladus and Mimas) respectively.
William Herschel was also a musician and composer. He played the oboe, violin, harpsichord, and the organ as well as composing 24 symphonies, a lot of concertos, and some church music.
It is also worth mentioning that Herschel’s sister, Caroline Lucretia Herschel (Born: March 16, 1750; Died: January 9, 1848), was also an astronomer in her own right, credited with the discovery of several comets, who worked closely with William Herschel.
Consider the following titles for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:
Books:
For additional information, please read online the 1980 article by National Research Council of Canada astrophysicist Peter M. Millman entitled “The Herschel Dynasty – Part 1: William Herschel”.
Comments