Today In History: William Herschel Observes Uranus

I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;

But I am constant as the northern star,

Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality

There is no fellow in the firmament.

-- William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1. 

The third largest planet and seventh from the sun, Uranus was originally called the "Georgian Planet" by William Herschel who first observed it on March 13th, 1781 from the gardens of his home in Bath, Somerset.  The German-born English astronomer observed "Georgium Sidus" through a telescope,  an instrument which verified its existence as a planet, rather than as a star. For his important discovery, William Herschel was knighted and he relocated to Windsor, England to facilitate access to his telescopes by the royal family who in awe sought to better understand the solar system.

The name Uranus was proposed by Johann Elert Bode, a German astronomer who studied the planet's orbit  and came to the conclusion that it circled  the sun only once for every 84 years on Earth. A giant planet, Uranus was the ancient Greek deity of the heavens, and a fitting name to compliment the mythologically derived names of the other planets in the universe.  Composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane, and milky blue in appearance, Uranus has faint rings and multiple moons named after characters in the work of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Baird, G. D. (1913, Oct 30). The Heavens Above - Uranus. San Francisco Chronicle (1869-1922) 
• An Astronomical Correspondent.  (1922, Aug 23). Sir William Herschel: The Centenary of a Great Astronomer. The Manchester Guardian (1901-1959) 
• Sir William Herschel: Died 25th August 1822.  (1922, Aug 25). The Scotsman (1921-1950) 
• New Planet IsThird Found By Man in 300 Years' Study: Ancients Knew All Satellites of Sun Excerpt Uranus, Neptune and Orb Just Discovered in Farthest Reaches of Solar System. (1930, Mar 14). The Washington Post (1923-1954) 
• Hickok, J. O. (1930, Apr 13). Old Heavenly Ties Renewed: New Solar Discovery Brings Review of "Neighbors."  Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Luytena, W.J. (1931, Mar 08). Uranus Discovered 150 Years Ago: A Tornado in the Forming. New York Times (1923-) 
• MacPherson, H. (1938, Nov 15). Sir William Herschel: A great Astronomer's Life-Story. The Scotsman (1921-1950) 
• Taylor, H.J. (1954, Mar 14). Are You Able to See: Uranus? The Times of India (1861-2010) 
• Kotulak, R. (1986, Jan 19). Voyager 2 atUranus: Close Encounter Is 1st of a Kind. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• Sullivan, W. S. (1986, Jan 25). In Greeks' Myths, Uranus Was Mighty Among Gods. New York Times (1923-) 
• Slough Stargazer and His New Planet: Discoveries and Those Behind Them. This Week: William Herschel (1738-1822). (1994, Jun 07). The Guardian (1959-2003) 

Tips:

• Bratton, Mark. The Complete Guide to the Herschel Objects : Sir William Herschel’s Star Clusters, Nebulae, and Galaxies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. e-book
• Herschel, William. The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel. Vol. 2. England: The Royal society, 1912, 1912. e-book
• Holden, Edward S. (Edward Singleton). Sir William Herschel : His Life and Works. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1881. Closed Stacks Research ; QB36.H6 H7 1881
• Hoskin, Michael A.  The Construction of the Heavens: The Cosmology of William Herschel.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.  e-book
• The Story of the Herschels, a Family of Astronomers. Sir William Herschel--Sir John Herschel--Caroline Herschel. London, Edinburgh and New York, T. Nelson and sons, 1886. e-book

Images:

• William Herschel Heraldry, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
• Poster Image: Planet Uranus, by Buradaki

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