These differences may be why the connection was not made for so many centuries in spite of much experimentation. The story of Herschel’s experiments is that of the role of human perception in scientific discovery, as well as the conflict between conventional beliefs and concepts never before encountered. His speculations and conclusions were often contradictory: Many were wrong, but some were extraordinarily prescient. Herschel’s foray from astronomy to infrared was a fortuitous tangent from his effort to find the best color for a filter that would allow him to safely view the Sun. A condition of his appointment was that he be available to King George III and the royal family any time they wished to view the stars. He and his sister, Caroline, settled in the town of Slough, near Windsor Castle.
His fame peaked after he discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, which led to his appointment as the king’s astronomer.įollowing his appointment, which came with an annual salary of £200, Herschel was able to devote all his time to astronomy. Herschel’s craftsmanship rapidly took his hobby to public recognition as the foremost telescope manufacturer of his time.
He bought a small telescope and a book on astronomy.īy the following year, he was grinding his own mirrors to build larger and better quality telescopes, and spending his nights studying the heavens. In 1773, at age 34, six years after moving to Bath to take a position teaching music and playing in concerts, he did something that changed his life and fortunes. He rose from obscurity as a German immigrant in a military band to become an accomplished musician and composer.
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