Great Astronomers: William Herschel

Sir Frederick William Herschel, (Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel) (1738–1822) was a German-born British astronomer, telescope maker, and composer. He became famous for the first discovery of a planet not visible to the naked eye, the planet Uranus, and two of its major moons (Titania and Oberon), and two moons of Saturn. He was the first person to discover infrared radiation. Herschel's first profession was composing and performing music, with astronomy being his hobby. He is known for the twenty-four symphonies that he composed. Astronomy was his hobby and passion. He built his own telescopes of superb quality. After becoming known, he earned substantial income by building telescopes for others. Eventually, astronomy and science became his primary work after he was appointed as the King's astronomer by King George the Third, who provided Herschel with a residence, a salary, and funds for construction of great telescopes.