Discoverers of the Universe

Discoverers of the Universe PDF Author: Michael Hoskin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400838126
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
A biography of the brother and sister who helped found modern astronomy Discoverers of the Universe tells the gripping story of William Herschel, the brilliant, fiercely ambitious, emotionally complex musician and composer who became court astronomer to Britain's King George III, and of William's sister, Caroline, who assisted him in his observations of the night sky and became an accomplished astronomer in her own right. Together, they transformed our view of the universe from the unchanging, mechanical creation of Newton's clockmaker god to the ever-evolving, incredibly dynamic cosmos that it truly is. William was in his forties when his amateur observations using a homemade telescope led to his discovery of Uranus, and an invitation to King George's court. He coined the term "asteroid," discovered infrared radiation, was the first to realize that our solar system is moving through space, discovered 2,500 nebulae that form the basis of the catalog astronomers use today, and was unrivalled as a telescope builder. Caroline shared William's passion for astronomy, recording his observations during night watches and organizing his papers for publication. She was the first salaried woman astronomer in history, a pioneer who herself discovered nine comets and became a role model for women in the sciences. Written by the world's premier expert on the Herschels, Discoverers of the Universe traces William and Caroline's many extraordinary contributions to astronomy, shedding new light on their productive but complicated relationship, and setting their scientific achievements in the context of their personal struggles, larger-than-life ambitions, bitter disappointments, and astonishing triumphs.

Discoverers of the Universe

Discoverers of the Universe PDF Author: Michael Hoskin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400838126
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Get Book Here

Book Description
A biography of the brother and sister who helped found modern astronomy Discoverers of the Universe tells the gripping story of William Herschel, the brilliant, fiercely ambitious, emotionally complex musician and composer who became court astronomer to Britain's King George III, and of William's sister, Caroline, who assisted him in his observations of the night sky and became an accomplished astronomer in her own right. Together, they transformed our view of the universe from the unchanging, mechanical creation of Newton's clockmaker god to the ever-evolving, incredibly dynamic cosmos that it truly is. William was in his forties when his amateur observations using a homemade telescope led to his discovery of Uranus, and an invitation to King George's court. He coined the term "asteroid," discovered infrared radiation, was the first to realize that our solar system is moving through space, discovered 2,500 nebulae that form the basis of the catalog astronomers use today, and was unrivalled as a telescope builder. Caroline shared William's passion for astronomy, recording his observations during night watches and organizing his papers for publication. She was the first salaried woman astronomer in history, a pioneer who herself discovered nine comets and became a role model for women in the sciences. Written by the world's premier expert on the Herschels, Discoverers of the Universe traces William and Caroline's many extraordinary contributions to astronomy, shedding new light on their productive but complicated relationship, and setting their scientific achievements in the context of their personal struggles, larger-than-life ambitions, bitter disappointments, and astonishing triumphs.

The Georgian Star

The Georgian Star PDF Author: Michael D. Lemonick
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393065749
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
"In 1781, William Herschel won international fame for discovering Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun. In documenting a new planet - something no one had done since the dawn of civilization - he expanded our perception that we are part of something much greater than the immediately visible solar system." "Herschel remains most famous for this discovery, but, as The Georgian Star makes vividly clear, he accomplished much more. After a successful career as a professional musician, he turned his attention to astronomy in his mid-thirties. With his sister Caroline as a partner, he pioneered techniques that are still used by astronomers today. The Herschels were the first to map the night sky, listing and categorizing every object they could see. To do so, they built a massive, forty-foot-tall telescope under the patronage of King George III. They were also the first to propose that the visible stars surrounding our little planet are only a fraction of those that make up a continually evolving universe. William's restless intelligence led further still, to the discovery of infrared radiation - invisible radiation that has a wavelength longer than microwaves but shorter than that of visible light. Caroline assembled an exhaustive catalog of nebulae, the beautiful, cloudy assemblages of dust and stellar light." "Erudite and accessible, The Georgian Star is a lively portrait of the pair who invented modern astronomy."--BOOK JACKET.

Searching the Stars

Searching the Stars PDF Author: Marilyn B Ogilvie
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752475460
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Written by the international expert on women in science, this, the first biography of Caroline Herschel, the first professional female scientist, reveals the hardships experienced by a woman pursuing a male profession.

The Stargazer's Sister

The Stargazer's Sister PDF Author: Carrie Brown
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0804172137
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
Caroline, known as “Lina” to her family, has always lived in the shadow of her older brother William Herschel’s accomplishments. And yet when William invites Lina to join him in England to assist in his musical and astronomical pursuits—not to mention to run his bachelor household—she accepts, finding a new sense of purpose. William may be an obsessive genius, but Lina adores him, and aids him with the same fervency as a beloved wife. When William decides to marry, however, Lina’s world collapses. As she attempts to rebuild a future, we witness the dawning of an early feminist consciousness—a woman struggling to find her own place among the stars.

The Scientific Legacy of William Herschel

The Scientific Legacy of William Herschel PDF Author: Clifford J. Cunningham
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783319328256
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book presents a modern scholarly analysis of issues associated with England’s most famous astronomer, William Herschel. The world’s leading experts on Herschel, discoverer of the planet Uranus, here offer their combined wisdom on many aspects of his life and astronomical research. Solar system topics include comets, Earth’s Moon, and the spurious moons of Uranus, all objects whose observation was pioneered by Herschel. The contributors examine his study of the structure of the Milky Way and offer an in-depth look at the development of the front view telescopes he built. The popular subject of extraterrestrial life is looked at from the point of view of both William Herschel and his son John, both of whom had an interest in the topic. William’s personal development through the educational system of the late 18th century is also explored, and the wide range of verse and satire in various languages associated with his discoveries is collected here for the first time. Hershel worked at a time of incredible discovery, and his work is still highly regarded in the field. Here it is given a thorough investigation, putting into perspective his path-breaking career.

Sir William Herschel

Sir William Herschel PDF Author: Edward Singleton Holden
Publisher: London : W.H. Allen
ISBN:
Category : Astronomers
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description


The Herschel Chronicle

The Herschel Chronicle PDF Author: Constance A. Lubbock
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107650011
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 419

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Book Description
Originally published in 1933, this book was written with the aim of presenting the life stories of William and Caroline Herschel in the setting of their family circle and the broader historical context. The text is composed, as far as possible, from their own words, using extracts from William Herschel's brief autobiographical notes and from Caroline's very full journals, as well as from letters. A variety of illustrative figures and an appendix section are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Herschels, astronomy and music.

The Georgian Star: How William and Caroline Herschel Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Cosmos

The Georgian Star: How William and Caroline Herschel Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Cosmos PDF Author: Michael Lemonick
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393072088
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
“A bright, shiny gift to popular-science collections.”—Booklist Trained as a musician, amateur scientist William Herschel found international fame after discovering the planet Uranus in 1781. Though he is still best known for this finding, his partnership with his sister Caroline yielded other groundbreaking work that affects how we see the world today. The Herschels made comprehensive surveys of the night sky, carefully categorizing every visible object in the void. Caroline wrote an influential catalogue of nebulae, and William discovered infrared radiation. Veteran science writer Michael D. Lemonick guides readers through the depths of the solar system and into his subjects’ private lives: William developed bizarre theories about inhabitants of the sun; he procured an unheard-of salary for Caroline from King George III even as he hassled over the funding for an enormous, forty-foot telescope; and the siblings feuded over William’s marriage but eventually reconciled.

On the Construction of the Heavens

On the Construction of the Heavens PDF Author: William Herschel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Double Stars

Double Stars PDF Author: Padma Venkatraman
Publisher: Morgan Reynolds Publishing
ISBN: 9781599350424
Category : Astronomers
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A young adult biography of British astronomer Caroline Herschel