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How A Musician Discovered The First Planet In Over Three Thousand Years
William Herschel and the Remarkable Discovery of Uranus
The earliest years of William Herschel’s life were consumed by music. The son of an oboist, both he and his sister, Caroline, spent many long hours composing, singing, and playing. William was an accomplished musician. He initially followed in his father’s footsteps and took up the oboe. Before long, he had expanded his musical forte to include the violin, harpsichord, and organ. After mastering a stable of popular instruments for the time, Herschel branched out and began composing symphonies. He wrote 24 in total. But it wasn’t long before a new obsession took hold and changed his life forever.
After serving as a musician in the English city of Bath, Herschel realized that his fortunes might not lie in music. Music offered a stable living and a modicum of societal recognition. The heavens, on the other hand, offered far more.
In 1774, Herschel started on a new and seemingly random pursuit — telescope building. After extensively reading the works of contemporary natural philosophers and ancient philosophers, Herschel started to wonder about the heavens. He put down his oboe (for the time being) and instead picked up a grinder. Herschel sought out the most prominent glass and mirror…
