Record

RefNoL&P/7/192
LevelFile
TitlePaper, 'Of a comet [Uranus] seen on 13 March' by William Herschel
Date1781
DescriptionDescription of the first recorded observation of the planet Uranus by Sir William Herschel, from Bath. Herschel misidentifies the object as a comet throughout the letter, despite noting similarities with the characteristics of a planet. The categorisation is first proposed by the Astronomer Royal, Nevile Maskelyne then confirmed by other astronomers across Europe. William Herschel will propose in a later letter to name it Georgium Sidus.

Contains two pages of figures.

Subject: Astronomy

Published in Philosophical Transactions, as 'Account of a comet'

Read 26 April 1781
Extent23p
FormatManuscript
PhysicalDescriptionInk on paper and two pages of plates
Digital imagesView item on Science in the Making
AccessStatusOpen
RelatedMaterialDOI: 10.1098/rstl.1781.0056
RelatedRecordL&P/7/192/1
L&P/7/192/2
L&P/7/192/3
L&P/8/1
Fellows associated with this archive
CodePersonNameDates
NA8060Herschel; Sir; William (1738 - 1822); astronomer1738 - 1822
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