William Herschel

Biography

First years in Hanover

It passes its childhood to Hanover, a city of the North-West of Germany which is under the protection of the crown of Great Britain and its king George II, where it receives a musical education on behalf of his father violonist and hautboïste. Keep regiment, it is called in Great Britain in 1756 in order to counter a French invasion (Guerre Seven Year old).

A life of musician

Released of its military obligations, it earns its living as musical copyist with London then directing of the militia of Durham. In 1758, it obtains the direction in the concerts of Edinburgh before becoming organist with Halifax in 1766, then with Bath the following year. It remains in the center of the musical life of this city during 10 years all while being interested more and more in astronomy.

Its music, rather largely forgotten today, was redécouverte with happiness in 2003 by the London Mozart Players, in a disc devoted to the symphonies. Works " galantes" of Herschel were made up between 1759 and 1770: 24 symphonies, a dozen concertos (violin, viola, oboe, organ), sonatas for harpsichord and of the sacred music.

The astronomer

Helped by his/her sister Caroline who joined it in Bath, it becomes an observer except par, building itself its glasses and telescopes. King George III, impassioned astronomy, offers his support to him, in particular in 1782 with the allowance of an annual treatment so that it can be devoted entirely to his scientific research.

One owes him, inter alia, the discovery:

of the Planet Uranus (March 13rd 1781),
of two of its satellites Titania and Obéron (1787),
of the satellites Mimas and Encelade of Saturn (1789),
of the Infra-red radiation (1800),
of the binary stars (1802),
of the movement of the Solar system in the direction which it named the apex (1783),
of the form (approximate) of our Galaxy starting from the star counting (1785).

It also published several Catalogs of double stars (1782, 1785) and of nebulas (1786, 1789, 1802).

The Royal Society decrees the to him Médaille Copley in 1781. In 1821 he becomes the first president of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The crater Martian Herschel (14,9°S 230,3°O, 304 km diameter) was named in its honor and that of his/her son, John Frederick William Herschel.

The European space agency (ESA or ESA) envisages to name Herschel a satellite of astronomical observation in infra-red and submillimeter which should be launched in 2007 by a Fusée ARIANE V.

His/her son Sir John Herschel is also astronomer.

See too

External bonds

Biography

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