William Herschel

The founder of modern stellar astronomy, his discovery of Uranus in 1781 from his house in Bath was the first identification of a planet in modern times. Herschel developed the theory of nebulae and the evolution of stars. He catalogued many binary stars and made important modifications to the reflecting telescope. William Herschel also demonstrated that the solar system moves through space and he discovered infrared radiation.

Find out more about William Herschel, his life and work by visiting the following websites:

The William Herschel Society

Herschel Museum of Astronomy