The Herschel astronomers

Most notable of the Herschel clan were William, his sister Caroline, and his son John. These scientists made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. Their legacy of discovery stands even today.

William and Caroline had a great influence in their lives: their father, German musician Isaac Herschel (1707–1767). An oboist with the Hanover Military Band, the elder Herschel fostered within his ten children a love of music, curiosity, and a desire for learning that spanned disciplines and generations.

The following profiles detail the many discoveries, accomplishments, and awards bestowed on William, Caroline, and John Herschel. It is from shoulders such as theirs that modern astronomers will take the next steps of discovery.

Sir William Herschel (1738–1822)
(German-born English astronomer)

Discoveries

• Mars and Jupiter show axial rotation

• Planet Uranus (1781)

• Uranus’s two largest moons, Titania and Oberon (1787)

• Two new saturnian moons, Enceladus and Mimas (1789)

• Infrared radiation, using lights and prisms (1800)

• 2,000 to 3,000 nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies

• The period of rotation of Saturn’s rings theorized by 18-century French mathematician and astronomer Pierre-Simon LaPlace

Accomplishments

• Observations of double stars (1782–1821)

• Demonstrated that the solar system itself moves through space

• Observed the disk-like shape of the Milky Way

• Coined the word “asteroid” (1802)

• Built more than 400 telescopes

Awards and honors

• Awarded The Royal Society’s Copley Medal (1781)

• Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (1781)

• Appointed the King’s Astronomer (1782)

• Lunar impact crater, Herschel, named in his honor

• Mars impact crater, Herschel, named in his honor

• Impact crater, Herschel, on saturnian moon Mimas named in his honor

• Herschel Space Telescope, named in his honor by the European Space Agency, will launch in 2007