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Caroline Herschel, German-born British astronomer who was a pioneer in the field. She made important contributions to the work of her brother Sir William Herschel, and, on her own, she became the first woman to discover a comet (1786). She also detected three nebulae in 1783. Learn more about her life and work.
Mar 15, 2021 · Until 1781, the known solar system consisted of six planets. On March 13 of that year, astronomer William Herschel observed a faint object in the constellation Gemini and noted that it moved slowly relative to the background stars. First thinking it a comet, Herschel later correctly identified it as a planet and wanted to name […]
Jun 17, 2024 · Astronomy - Herschel, Milky Way, Stars: Although Herschel’s discovery of Uranus made his reputation, it was far from being his most important contribution. During the 18th century, astronomers had measured the proper motions of a reasonably large number of stars. (Proper motion is the slow drift of a star with respect to its neighbours, which slowly causes the constellations to change shape ...
May 14, 2009 · Herschel, at the time of launch, was the largest infrared telescope ever sent into space. It had a mirror spanning 11 feet, 6 inches (3.5 meters). It was designed to study the origin and evolution of stars and galaxies, the chemical composition of atmospheres and surfaces of solar system bodies, and molecular chemistry across the universe, to help understand the evolution of the universe.
Jul 3, 2019 · Sir William Herschel was an accomplished astronomer who not only contributed volumes of work that astronomers use today, but also composed some pretty hip music for his time! He was a true "do-it-yourselfer", building more than one telescope during his career. Herschel was fascinated with double stars.
Nov 15, 2017 · William Herschel was a pioneer of stellar astronomy. Source: National Portrait Gallery. Herschel inherited a remarkable musical talent from his father who was an oboist. He played cello, oboe, violin, piano, harp and organ and was also an excellent craftsman who made his own instruments.
William Herschel - Astronomy, Stars, Evolution: In order to interpret the differences between these star clusters, it was natural for William to emphasize their relative densities, which he did by contrasting a cluster of tightly packed stars with others in which the stars were widely scattered. These formations showed that attractive forces were at work: with the passage of time, he ...
