When was Uranus discovered and by whom?
Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781 by Sir William Herschel. Herschel was born in Hanover, Germany in 1738. He was one of the most noted astronomers of the 18th century. Besides discovering Uranus, he also built the largest telescope of his era, discovered the 6th and 7th satellites of Saturn (Oberon and Titania), cataloged thousands of nebulae, described the shape of our galaxy, and discovered the infrared range of sunlight. He was knighted by King George III, and he died in 1822. http://www.astroleague.org/…/fwhershs.html http://www.encyclopedia.com/…/…lliamherschel.asp http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/…/HerschelWilliam.
Which planet has yet to complete a single orbit since its discovery back in 1846? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in this excellent book. The illustrations are as plentiful as they are beautiful, and the language is concise and kid-friendly: The bigger something is, the more gravity it has. The author not only manages to explain things in a simple way but takes it a step further by frequently relating the other planets to our own: If you think of the sunlight that hits Earth as equal to four dollars, only a penny’s worth of sunlight reaches Uranus. Besides such typical features as a glossary of terms and a list of websites and suggested reading, it also includes Smithsonian Links for further information (like IMAX Theater at National Air & Space Museum) and even an interview with a real-live astronomer. This is the kind of book kids (and their parents) will enjoy again and again.
