What Hath Shakespeare To Do With Astronomy: Sir John Herschel & Naming the Solar System
Project Type
Event
Abstract
A recent PRI article discussed the mystery of whether the British astronomer Sir John Herschel named of the moons of Uranus. My research offers proof that Herschel did indeed name these moons. The bigger question though is why he chose to name them after characters from Shakespeare. I offer a hypothesis and examine what was at play in the science, politics, and literary considerations of solar system nomenclature.
What Hath Shakespeare To Do With Astronomy: Sir John Herschel & Naming the Solar System
A recent PRI article discussed the mystery of whether the British astronomer Sir John Herschel named of the moons of Uranus. My research offers proof that Herschel did indeed name these moons. The bigger question though is why he chose to name them after characters from Shakespeare. I offer a hypothesis and examine what was at play in the science, politics, and literary considerations of solar system nomenclature.