OLD-TIME ASTRONOMY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1051, 15 August 1930, Page 14

OLD-TIME ASTRONOMY

THE TWO HERSCHELS The two famous Herschels formed the subject of an interesting lecture last evening by Professor H. W. Segar in the University Science Building, under the auspices of the astronomical section of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Professor Segar said that Sir William Herschel became famous through his discovery of the planet Uranus, and in doing so he accomplished an astonishing amount of work. He proved the existence of SOG double stars, detected the proper motion of the stars and estimated the brightness of hundreds of stars. The great feature of Herschel’s work was that it was the beginning of a science of the stars. It was the planets which had been observed by previous astronomers. In describing how Sir John Herschel carried on the work which his father had begun, Professor Segar said that it was a most remarkable circumstance that both father and son received a knighthood as the reward of achievement. It was not generally known that Sir William’s title did not pass to his son.