"In 1800 he had published his momentous discovery of infra-red rays; and in 1803 and 1804 his re-examination of double stars would reveal examples where the two components had orbited each other, visual proof that attractive forces...operated outside the solar system. ...between 1811 and 1818 he published four great synthetic papers on the construction of the heavens, in which he expounded the life-story of nebulae and clusters as they developed over time under the influence of gravity. ...Soon, development over time—in contrast to the unchanging clockwork universe of Newton and Leibniz—would become and remain part of astronomical thinking."
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Composers from GermanyComposers from EnglandAstronomers from GermanyOrganistsAstronomers from the United Kingdom
Original Language: English
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Sources
Michael Hoskin, "Unfinished Business: William Herschel's Sweeps for Nebulae" History of Science (2005) Vol. 43, part 3.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Herschel
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William Herschel
Sir Frederick William Herschel KH FRS (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel) (15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, telescope maker, organist and composer who became famous for discovering Uranus. He also discovered infrared radiation and made many other contributions to astronomy.
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