William Herschel

Sir Frederick William Herschel KH FRS (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel) (15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, telescope maker, organist and composer who became famous for discovering Uranus. He also discovered infrared radiation and made many other contributions to astronomy.

His son, Sir John Herschel, was also a notable astronomer.

Sourced

• I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it so much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet.
  • His discovery of Uranus. Scientific Papers, vol. 1, page 30 "Account of a Comet".

• Hier ist wahrhaftig ein Loch im Himmel !
  • Here is truly a hole in Heaven.
    • as remembered by his sister Caroline, after a long period of scrutinizing a starless spot, probably in the constellation Scorpius. As quoted by Michael J. Crowe (1994). Modern theories of the universe: from Herschel to Hubble. Courier Dover Publications. p. 207. ISBN 0486278808. 

Quotes about William Herschel

• William Herschel was the first man to give a reasonably correct picture of the shape of our star-system or galaxy; he was the best telescope-maker of his time, and possibly the greatest observer who ever lived.
  • Patrick Moore, astronomer.^{[citation needed]}