William Herschel
1738–1822 · German-British · Enlightenment
Known for: Discovered the planet Uranus, infrared radiation, and catalogued thousands of nebulae
William Herschel was a musician turned astronomer who discovered Uranus in 1781—the first new planet found since antiquity. He built the largest telescopes of his era in his backyard, grinding mirrors himself. He also discovered infrared radiation and catalogued thousands of deep-sky objects.
His sister Caroline was his collaborator and became a distinguished astronomer in her own right. George III appointed him King's Astronomer.
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