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All the United Kingdom England Bath Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Eighteenth-century home, where Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.

Bath, England

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Trevor David
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Replica of the 7-foot telescope Herschel used to discover Uranus.   http://www.bptlearning.org.uk/images/26.jpg
Facade of the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, England.   http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...
View of the rear of the museum from the garden, with an orrery in the foreground.   http://www.furniture4stargazers.co.uk/user...
Statue of William and Caroline Herschel in the museum’s garden.   http://www.gardenvisit.com/assets/madge/he...
Entrance to the museum.   http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/pho...
Portrait of William Herschel.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_...
Portrait of Caroline Herschel, 1829.   http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...
Music room   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Museum entrance   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  erinculley / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Few amateur astronomers have enjoyed the success and fame of the brother and sister observing pair of William and Caroline Herschel. Together they were responsible for the discovery of one planet, four moons, and at least eight comets. The Herschel Museum of Astronomy, located in the Herschels' former home in Bath, England, is dedicated to acknowledging the achievements of the German-born astronomers.

The small museum houses a unique collection of the Herschels' astronomical as well as musical artifacts (both siblings were accomplished musicians who earned their living composing, performing, and teaching). It also focuses on the experience of daily life for the English middle class in the 1700s, when the Herschels inhabited the modest Georgian-style town house. Some of the collection's highlights include rare books and journals that belonged to Caroline and the original furnace where William melted the metal for the mirrors of his telescopes.

For all of the recognition that the Herschels now receive, one might be surprised to learn that the scientific community did not always accept them. William was rather eccentric by nature, and his claim to have observed forests and cities on the moon did little to earn him respect. When Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, however, his fellow astronomers were forced to acknowledge his gifts for observing and telescope-making. He would then go on to discover moons orbiting Saturn and Uranus and the rotation of Saturn's rings while Caroline became an expert comet-hunter and the first woman honored by the Royal Astronomical Society.

An important theme of the museum is William Herschel's telescope-making abilities, which were unrivaled at the time. In the home's basement, which has changed very little since the late 1700s, is the original workshop where Herschel ground his mirrors and a replica of his polishing machine that can be handled by visitors. Also on display is a reproduction of Herschel's 7-foot telescope, which he used to discover Uranus, and prompted him to say, "I have looked further into space than any human being did before me." Today we are able to glimpse light from significantly more distant sources, but much is owed to Herschel, who in his dedicated observing alone doubled the known size of our solar system.

Related Tags

Astronomy Museums Inventions Instruments Of Science Retro Tech Repositories Of Knowledge Music Collections

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Trevor

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reubencohen, erinculley, Xavixavir

  • reubencohen
  • erinculley
  • Xavixavir

Published

February 24, 2010

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  • http://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/index.php?id=8
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Museum_of_Astronomy
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Herschel
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Herschel
Herschel Museum of Astronomy
19 New King Street
Bath, England, BA1
United Kingdom
51.3825, -2.3667
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