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The Unexpected Failure of Herschel’s Astrometer
Sir John Herschel invented an elaborate device to measure the brightness of stars—and then didn’t use it.
3D rendering of Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion. [Pitris / Getty Images]
Sir John Frederick William Herschel had a lot to live up to. His father, Sir William Herschel, known as one of the first “professional” astronomers, was the first person to discover a planet since classical times—Uranus—and was appointed the private astronomer of King George III. William also discovered more than 800 confirmed double or multiple star systems and compiled a vast catalog of stars of the northern sky. William’s sister Caroline Lucretia Herschel was also an accomplished astronomer, discovering eight comets and 14 nebulae.
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