27/04/2024, Newsroom | email: info@pronews.gr

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The discovery of the planet Uranus by an amateur astronomer 
A monumental discovery for the world of science

On March 13, 1781 on a starry night, William Herschel, a tireless explorer of
the sky, pointed his telescope into the unknown depths of space. Unbeknownst to
him, he was on the cusp of a cosmic discovery that would change perception of
the Universe forever. Finally, in 1783, Herschel made the bold statement: He
had discovered a new planet.

Telescopes of the time were extremely limited. Herschel's home-made device was
pretty much a tube-shaped magnifying glass, especially compared to today's
high-powered detection technology.  Herschel was relatively new to astronomy.
He had spent most of his life as a successful composer and musician, developing
an interest in the night sky at the age of 34. A few years later, Herschel woke
up one night, looking at the constellation Gemini, when he found a comet, or so
he thought at first.  The object in question looked more like a flat disc and
while it was moving, it appeared to be too slow to be a comet.

Further observations confirmed that Herschel had indeed found a new planet, the
first to be discovered with a telescope. Herschel thought he had naming rights.
He proposed Georgium Sidis, 'The Star of George', in honour of his patron, King
George III, but his contemporaries advocated a more dignified and less
nationalistic name.  They chose Uranus, following the established protocol of
naming the planets with the ancient gods.

In Greek mythology, Uranus is the primordial sky god and the son/husband of
Gaia, the Earth goddess. Their many descendants included the Titans, deities
who overthrew their father and installed Cronus, the younger Titan, as ruler of
the world. Cronus was eventually overthrown by his son, Zeus, and his brothers,
who became the Olympian gods.

William Herschel discovered more than 2500 nebulae, coined the word asteroid
and invented many new telescopes. But he didn't do it alone.  He was supported
in every scientific endeavour by his younger sister Caroline, who tirelessly
polished the mirrors of his telescope, stayed up all night to record celestial
observations, and edited and published his pioneering star catalogues. Her own
list of accomplishments is extensive. Caroline Herschel described 14 new
nebulae, compiled a catalogue of star clusters and discovered eight comets.

Herschel's discoveries paved the way for a new technology and scientific
approaches. And it all started with Uranus.