Discovery of Uranus

“On Tuesday the 13th of March, between ten and eleven in the evening, while I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest…” This was an account by William Herschel in 1781, sent to the Royal Society of London on the discovery of Uranus.

Initially, Herschel thought he had discovered a comet. However, after observations by other astronomers, it was concluded that this “comet” was in actuality a new planet. Herschel proposed to name the new planet “Georgium Sidus”, after then British Monarch, King George III. This name did not catch on in the wider scientific community, with other names such as “Herschel” and “Uranus” being suggested. Uranus, named after the Greek god of the sky, was eventually favoured.