ipl-logo

How Did William Herschel Study Astronomy

232 Words1 Pages

Musician and astronomer, William Herschel, changed the way we look at the sky in the 1780’s. In 1781, Herschel went on an adventure to construct a telescope with bigger reflecting mirrors than had ever been used before (Hoskin). He made a telescope that was top of the line for that time. He discovered Uranus, which was the first planet to be discovered in a very long time (Upgren). Many people inspired and aided Herschel’s desire to study astronomy. A professor at Cambridge, John Micheli, helped lead William’s quest as he sought to create a more advanced telescope (Hoskin). I feel like one of Herschel’s biggest helps would have to have been his sister and fellow astronomer, Caroline Herschel (Upgren). She would have been a great support to him as he sought to discover more about the world above us. It was hard for people to believe that he had discovered a new planet. In fact, the public was more willing to recognize Herschel’s discovery of double stars at first (Hoskin). I feel William Herschel helped motivate the astronomy world to continue to discover about the stars and the secrets of space. …show more content…

(2011). WILLIAM HERSCHEL AND THE NEBULAE, PART 1: 1774-1784. Journal for the History of Astronomy, 42(2), 177-192,281. Retrieved from

Show More
Related
1587 Words | 7 Pages

This will lead to his discovery of the three laws of planetary motion that explained how the planets moved and why they looked how they do in the sky. 4) Galileo Galilei was an astronomer whose studies would reveal the importance to astronomy not only of observation and mathematics but also of physics. His self-consciousness about technique, argument, and evidence would make him one of the first investigators of nature to approach his work in the same way as a modern scientist. 5) Francis Bacon was one of science’s greatest propagandists, and he inspired an entire generation with his vision of what scientific inquiry could do for humanity.

Read More
476 Words | 2 Pages

He built his first telescope when he was only 20, using mirrors, lenses, and parts of an old Buick car. He used instructions from a 1925 issue of Popular Astronomy. Through the telescope he made observations of Jupiter and Mars. He sent his drawn renditions of Jupiter and Mars to the Lowell Observatory, hoping to get feedback from professional astronomers. Instead, they offered him a job.

Read More
886 Words | 4 Pages

Caroline also cataloged nearly 3000 stars. That is an insane amount. She found 3000 new stars and then wrote them all down. On top of all of these things used today, she found 3 nebula. 3 is a lot of nebula.

Read More
188 Words | 1 Pages

William Herschel was the first to notice this odd object and was curious to find out more. This odd object, Uranus, was the first planet in recorded history to be discovered. The discovery of Uranus was just the beginning of William Herschel’s discoveries. He left his work with music and became

Read More
293 Words | 2 Pages

Famous Astronomers Project Antony Hewish was born the youngest of three sons May 11, 1924 in Fowey, United Kingdom. He grew up in Newquay, on the Atlantic coast and while living there, Hewish developed the love for boats and the sea. Hewish attended King’s College and University of Cambridge in 1942. He was active in war at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough and the Telecommunications Research Establishment. Antony’s decision to begin research in radio astronomy was heavily influenced by not just his wartime background that consisted of electronics and antennas, but also by one of his teachers, Jack Ratcliffe.

Read More
299 Words | 2 Pages

Herschel, an amateur astronomer, was not seeking to discover a new planet. Besides general curiosity, his motivations appear to be money, prestige, and power. He was looking for double stars as a way to measure stellar parallax. He had built his own 7ft reflector telescope which he moved to his house in Bath. There he discovered what would later be called Uranus.

Read More
617 Words | 3 Pages

One of those developments is the invention of the refracting telescope by Hans. Hans Lippershey also known as Johann Lippershey invented the telescope in 1604. The telescope is basically an instrument that makes far objects become much nearer and it is used by astronomers to see the universe and study stuff about it. Another main invention is the invention of the air pump by Otto von Guericke. The air pump is used to fill stuff like a bike with air.

Read More
197 Words | 1 Pages

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.

Read More
202 Words | 1 Pages

I chose to do my research on “Astronomy: Discovery of Uranus by William Hershcel in 1781.” I used for my research Google Scholar and The David O. McKay Library. I found that William Hershcel was a musician and amateur astronomer. Hershcel was surveying the stars in March 1781, when he saw what appeared to him as a comet. (1) He really had no motivation to be looking at the stars other than he enjoyed the ability to use a reflective telescope to do so.

Read More
184 Words | 1 Pages

I chose “Astronomy: Discovery of Uranus by William Herschel in 1781” as the topic for my research. I found that William Herschel was many things, including a musician, composer, teacher, and astronomer. William also built his own telescopes to look into the night sky. During one of his searches, he found something odd; it wasn’t a nebulous star or comet, but something different. It turned out to be a planet which he named “Georgium Sidus” or Georges star in honor of George III.

Read More
389 Words | 2 Pages

For centuries, astronomers in nearly every culture had broadly recognized Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, as they were visible to the naked eye. As telescopes were developed, the study of astrology expanded and the desire to observe and discover was intensified. Amidst this new wave of development and excitement, William Herschel, was born in Germany. After moving to England and initiating a career as an organist, his love of books stimulated a significant interest in the heavens and magnificent wonders therein.

Read More
167 Words | 1 Pages

Uranus William Herschel was motivated to get into astronomy by books by James Ferguson and Robert Smith. From this motivation he began making the most advance and powerful telescopes of his time. With these telescopes he studied space. He began to study the Orion Nebula that Robert Smith had discovered earlier. During William Herschel’s observations he discovered what he thought was a comet.

Read More
268 Words | 2 Pages

Astronomy: Discovery of Uranus by William Hershcel in 1781 What was the motivation that led to the discovery? British astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus accidentally on March 13, 1781, with his telescope while surveying all stars down to those about 10 times dimmer than can be seen by the naked eye. One "star" seemed different, and within a year Uranus was shown to follow a planetary orbit. What questions were asked?

Read More
1446 Words | 6 Pages

“If what the great telescope apparently sees is right, Dr. Hubble said, the nebulae may be endlessly distributed, on and on, virtually to

Read More
160 Words | 1 Pages

This is significant to us in this day because we now know of Uranus! It is also significant to see how William Herschel got to where he did, not just by himself but with the hard work of

Read More

More about How Did William Herschel Study Astronomy

Related Topics

Open Document