November 16, 2010 #118 – Observations of Newly Discovered Ceres and Pallas by William Herschel

William Herschel began systematic observations of Piazzi’s Ceres Ferdinandea and Dr. Olber’s Pallas in early 1802. Herschel had constructed some of the best optical systems in existence at the time. These he used to characterize the new planets. This included observing the orbs for color and visible characteristics, searching for moons, and determining the size with as much accuracy as possible.

These observations were published in the 1802, “Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London – Part II” In the same year he also released a catalog of “500 New Nebula” that he had discovered. If you have a chance to read about his life and accomplishments you will be absolutely amazed. The man lived for telescope time and the grinding of giant mirrors with legendary figure!

The following is a bit long but it gives you a sense of his observational and scientific skills. You can find this and the paper presenting the new nebulas on Google Books. (Click to Enlarge)


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