William Herschel
Joey Mungo- Period 5
Biography
While most people in his day and age were interested in planets and the solar system, Herschel was interested in what exists beyond the solar system. This was initially a problem since the telescopes of the time didn't have the capabilities to observe these objects Herschel desired to see. He ended up making his telescope mirrors himself in order to solve this issue. By the time he completed his ideal telescope, it had a magnification power 6,450 times that of the telescope in Greenwich Observatory. Some of his most notable achievements in astronomy include the discovery of Uranus, his theory on the formation of nebulae, and his efforts to catalogue binary stars, nebulae, and star clusters.
Later on in his life, Herschel was knighted in 1816 for his contributions to astronomy. He passed on August 25, 1816.
Discovery Of Uranus
Theory On Nebulae
Catalogued Objects
Herschel's Huge Telescope
The Horse Head Nebula As Seen By Herschel
Uranus
Sources
- "Sir William Herschel". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 07 Jan. 2016
<http://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Herschel>. - Cain, Fraser. "Discovery of Uranus - Universe Today." Universe Today. 30 Sept. 2008. Web. 08 Jan. 2016. <http://www.universetoday.com/18886/discovery-of-uranus/>