Bias in Observations and the Discover of Uranus There were a number of assumptions and a degree of bias that influenced the initial conclusions made when William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781. His passion for astronomy led him to make observations as he studied the night sky. With a series of measurements, Herschel observed that there was an object in the sky getting larger and approaching the earth. He believed that it was a comet… an idea that encouraged excitement. Eventually, it was discovered that the observed object was not a comet, it was a previously undiscovered world Uranus. Additionally, it was not getting closer to earth, but moving further away. This completely contradicted Herschel’s initial observations.