William Herschel and the Universe

William Herschel, a 42 year old musician and amateur astronomer, discovered the first "new" planet in history in 1781. His telescopes, observations and theories transformed what was the clockwork universe imagined by Isaac Newton into the evolutionary and wonder-filled cosmos we know today. This is the story of how modern astronomy took shape under the pre-industrial skies of the 18th century.William Herschel, a 42 year old musician and amateur astronomer, discovered the first "new" planet in history in 1781. His telescopes, observations and theories transformed what was the clockwork universe imagined by Isaac Ne... Read more