Sir William Herschel (November 15, 1738-August 25, 1822) was an English astronomer. He discovered the first planet since ancient antiquity in 1781 and desired to name it after King George III, though others wanted to give it his name, as Thomas Jefferson wrote from Paris to John Page, August 20, 1785:
<You will find in these the tables for the planet Herschel, as far as the observations hitherto made...You will see...that Herschel was...the first astronomer who discovered it to be a planet.> 1738WH001
Born in German, William Herschel was a musician like his father, who was bandmaster in the Hanoverian guard. A contemporary of Mozart, William Herschel fled to England during the Seven Years War. He was hired as the first organist at St John the Baptist Church in Halifax, and then organist at the prestigious Octagon Chapel in Bath, eventually writing 24 symphonies.
He pursued astronomy on the side, building his own telescope to observe, not just the solar system, but "the construction of the heavens." He taught himself how to grind and polish telescopic mirrors, becoming pre- eminent in that field.
William Herschel constructed over 400 telescopes, including the largest reflecting telescopes of his day, using them to catalog over 90,000 new stars, as well as nebulae and galaxies. After discovering Uranus, the 7th planet from the sun, King George III granted him a permanent salary as a royal astronomer.
Herschel identified double-stars, coined the word "asteroid," meaning star-like, and discovered infrared radiation.
The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel (published by the Royal Society in 1912), record his diary entry of an argument over naturalistic philosophy:
<The First Consul...asked in a tone of exclamation...when we were speaking of the extent of the sidereal heavens 'and who is the author of all this'...LaPlace wished to shew that a chain of natural causes would account for the construction...This the First Consul rather opposed. Much may be said on the subject; by joining the arguments of both we shall be led to 'Nature and Nature's God.'> 1738WH002
The Royal Society editor wrote in a footnote of Herschel's missing letters:
<Some 400 pages...are still extant...We are informed that Herschel in them interweaves his philosophy and even his musical studies with references of an earnest kind to the Creator as a beneficent Deity, expressing his gratitude and addressing him in a prayerful spirit.> 1738WH003
William Herschel was made a Knight of the Royal Guelphic Order by Prince Regent, George IV, in 1816. Sir William Herschel died in his observatory and was buried in St. Laurence Anglican Church in Slough, England. The church has a stained-glass 'Herschel Window' commemorating his astronomical discoveries and another window quoting Psalm 8: "When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?"
A contemporary of Sir William Herschel was the famous English poet, Edward Young (1681-1765), whose poem "Night Thoughts" was published in 1742 and translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and Magyar, The poem was read and quoted throughout Europe and in America. Line 771 of "Night Thoughts," possibly referred to by Sir William Herschel, was:
<An undevout astronomer is mad.> 1738WH004
William Herschel's sister, Caroline, not only assisted him, but discovered 6 comets herself, for which she was honored by royalty. William Herschel's son, Sir John Frederick Herschel, took his father's telescope to South Africa where he cataloged hundreds of new stars and nebulae seen from the southern hemisphere.
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1738WH001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Sir William Herschel. August 20, 1785, in a letter written from Thomas Jefferson in Paris to John Page.
1738WH002. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Sir William Herschel. Diary entry, recorded in The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel (published by the Royal Society, 1912).
1738WH003. Sir William Herschel. The Royal Society editor wrote in footnote regarding Herschel's missing letters. The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel (published by the Royal Society, 1912).
1738WH004. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Sir William Herschel. Henry M. Morris, Men of Science-Men of God (El Cajon, CA: Masters Books, A Division of Creation Life Publishers, Inc., 1990), pp. 29-30. English poet Edward Young, "Night Thoughts" (published 1742; 1745) , line 771.