William Herschel (442)

William Herschel (15 November 1738—25 August 1822) was a musician, astronomer and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1785. Born to a large family in Hanover, Herschel developed a passion for music at a young age and joined his father as an oboist in the Hanoverian foot guards at age 14.  Herschel traveled Europe with the brigade until 1757, when the unit suffered a defeat in battle and his father convinced him to leave for England.  Settling in London, he put his musical training to good use, first transposing sheet music for a local shop and eventually writing popular symphonies and organ pieces. His popularity skyrocketed, winning him a coveted position as the organist of the New Octagon Chapel in Bath where he employed his sister, Caroline, as a singer and assistant. Financial security allowed Herschel to pursue his new passion for Astronomy and by 1773 he had designed a new telescope that could focus on more distant stars than previously observed. Word quickly spread of the musician turned astronomer and Herschel’s observations were published by the Royal Society of London. But it was in 1781 that he rose to international fame by discovering the planet Uranus, making him the first astronomer since antiquity to identify a new planet. This attracted the attention of King George III (also a Hanoverian), who offered Herschel and Caroline a fixed income to relocate and conduct their research at Windsor Castle, provided they made themselves available to entertain the Royal Family’s celestial curiosities. Funded by the crown, Herschel and his sister documented hundreds of stars and designed larger, more powerful telescopes to peer deeper into the solar system. Although many of Herschel’s later publications were met with criticism from the science community, he continued to be an influential figure in Astronomy until failing health in 1816 forced him to withdraw from his work.  He spent his final years passing on his astronomical skills and intelligence to John, his only child, and passed away in 1822. (DNB)