 A
handful of early astronomers helped shape the field of astronomy as we know it
today. Their discoveries served as the foundation upon which modern space
science was built.
One of the most influential of these pioneering astronomers was the amazing Sir
William Herschel (1738-1822) who was also an accomplished musician.
Herschel's accomplishments were many, including the design and construction of
an improved reflecting telescope
that he subsequently used to discover numerous objects in the distant universe
and our own solar
system.
Perhaps best known for his discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781, Herschel's
other discoveries include several of the moons of Saturn,
including the mysterious Enceladus
in 1789. In 1800 he discovered that the spectrum includes light that cannot be
seen with the human eye: infrared light.
William Herschel was born in Hanover, Germany, but he gained his fame after
moving to England where he made his ground-breaking astronomical discoveries. He was knighted in
1816 in appreciation of his numerous scientific achievements.
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