Many people saw Uranus but viewed it as a star. When William Herschel, who many viewed as an amateur astronomer, first saw it he thought it was a comet. Through further observation he realized that its motion was not that of a comet.
They continued watching it, Herschel and many others, and in November of 1781, they realized that it was orbiting the Sun. In their words, it was “mov[ing] in a relatively circular orbit, not the parabolic or elliptical orbits characteristics of comets.”
Before Herschel’s discovery the solar system only consisted of five planets. This was a first in 225 years. Uranus is “1.78 billion miles from the Sun, tracing a path about 19 times farther from the Sun than Earth follows.” With this discovery astronomers realized that there was more out there and to observe things a little more closely. …show more content…
He patterned them after those that were made by others. He was also observing things that were stated. He questioned their data and through more observations discovered that Uranus was not a star or comet. It was a planet with its own
They continued watching it, Herschel and many others, and in November of 1781, they realized that it was orbiting the Sun. In their words, it was “mov[ing] in a relatively circular orbit, not the parabolic or elliptical orbits characteristics of comets.”
Before Herschel’s discovery the solar system only consisted of five planets. This was a first in 225 years. Uranus is “1.78 billion miles from the Sun, tracing a path about 19 times farther from the Sun than Earth follows.” With this discovery astronomers realized that there was more out there and to observe things a little more closely. …show more content…
He patterned them after those that were made by others. He was also observing things that were stated. He questioned their data and through more observations discovered that Uranus was not a star or comet. It was a planet with its own