The Georgian Star by Michael D. Lemonick
How the Herschels Revolutionized Our Understandiing of the Cosmos
Aug 4, 2009
The Atlas Great Discoveries series continues on its winning track with publication of The Georgian Star, an account of the life and work of William Herschel. Herschel, with the able assistance of his sister Caroline, was a productive and talented scientist from the late 1700's through the early 1800's.
The author, Michael D. Lemonick, teaches at several universities and has written three previous books with a cosmological theme. His work in The Georgian Star is typical of the quality and readability that makes the Great Discoveries series both enjoyable and informative.
Herschel the Musician
Not originally from England, William Herschel was born into a family of talented musicians in Hanover, Germany. He began teaching himself to play instrumental music at an early age and found work as a music teacher and performer. These talents served him well, allowing for a decent income until he obtained a permanent position as a scientist, later in life.
The anecdotes from his musical years provide a glimpse of Herschel's creativity and ability to take advantage of new opportunities—traits that would serve him well later on. It was pursuit of a career in music that led Herschel to England, where he became interested in mathematics and astronomy.
A Builder of Telescopes
Herschel was not only creative and intelligent—he was doggedly determined. Once he became interested in telescopes, he set out to learn everything about them. There were no commercial telescope manufacturers at the time. If an astronomer needed an instrument, he had better be able to build it himself, or know someone who could.
Herschel spent long hours polishing mirrors, directing workmen, and developing new techniques for telescope construction. He built the finest telescopes of the time and he took orders to build instruments from around the world. At one point, his own instrument was the largest in existence. Not all his building projects were successful, but he learned from his mistakes.
William and Caroline, Meticulous Observers of the Sky
Herschel was known for staying up all night, no matter the weather, to systematically sweep the sky. He catalogued comets, double star systems, and nebulae, vastly increasing the number of each known to science. His instrument was so good, he was able to resolve double star systems, where others only saw a single star.
Herschel is best known for his discovery of a wandering star that turned out to be a planet—Uranus. For this he was recognized throughout the world and it led to a permanent post as an astronomer in the employ of King George (although he never made it to the rank of Astronomer Royal). His efforts to obtain such royal favor were helped by his suggestion that the new planet should be named after the king (hence the title of the book).
His sister Caroline played an important part in William's discoveries by being an excellent organizer and recorder of data. Later, when William was unable to climb the telescope platform himself, she made her own observations at the instrument. Her work was recognized by several important scientific organizations of the time, which bestowed honors and awards upon her.
Herschel the Cosmologist
Not all of Herschel's theories were correct, but he did not lack imagination. Sometimes he arrived at a correct result by faulty means. He never lacked the courage to tackle a difficult problem. He was a truly a cosmologist, interested in the large structure of the universe, not merely the documenting of the positions of astronomical bodies.
The answers to some of the questions he asked (such as "how far away are the stars?") were beyond the technology of the time, and would have to wait for better instruments—but not better minds. The Georgian Star is an excellent overview of the life and work of a man (and his sister) who should be remembered for a lot more than the discovery of a planet.
References
The Georgian Star, 2009, Michael D. Lemonick, W. W. Norton, New York, NY, ISBN 978-0-393-06574-9
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