WilliamHerschelwasbornonNovember15th,1738inHanoverinafamilyofmusicians.In1757,hefledtoEnglandandbeganearningalivingasanorganistandlatercomposerandconductor.In1772,heconvincedhissisterCarolinetojoinhimasasinger.Intheirsparetimethebrother-sisterteambecameoccupiedinastronomy.WilliamdiedathishomeinSlough,nearWindsoronAugust25th,1822,andCarolineonSeptember1st,1848.

Herschel’sfirstmajordiscoveriesweretoshowthatMarsandJupiterexhibitaxialrotation(绕轴自转).Herschelstruckfamein1781,whenonMarch13thhediscoveredtheplanetUranus(天王星)whileengagedinworkaimedatdeterminingstellarparallax(恒星视差).Thisbeingthefirstnewplanetdiscoveredsinceancienttimes,Herschel,untilthenamereamateurastronomerrelativelyunknowneveninEngland,becameworld-famous.Adoptingahistoricallyprovenstrategy,HerschelnamedthenewplanetGeorgiumSidum,inhonorofthethenrulingEnglishkingGeorgeⅢ.Thetrickworkedonceagain,asKingGeorgeⅢgaveWilliamandCarolinethetitlesof“TheKing’sAstronomer”and“AssistanttotheKing’sAstronomer”,anhonorwhichcamewithalife’spensionforboth.In1782theymovedtoBath,andshortlythereaftertoSlough,andfromthispointonWilliamandCarolinecoulddevotethemselvesentirelytoastronomy.TheHerschelswentontodiscovertwomoonsofUranusin1787.

WhileCarolinebecameincreasinglyoccupiedwiththesearchforcometsatwhichshewasquitesuccessful,WilliambecameforatimeinterestedintheSun.InspiredbyWilson’s1774work,heputforththetheoryofsunspots(太阳黑子),anopinionthatcontinuedtoexistwellintothenineteenthcentury.In1800,hebecameinterestedinthesolarspectrum(太阳光谱),anduncoveredthefirstevidenceforsolarenergyoutputoutsideofthevisiblespectrum,inwhatisnowknownastheinfrared(红外线).In1801,hepublishedtwopapersthateffectivelystartedthefieldofsolarinfluencesonEarth’sweather.

小题1:Herschelmadehimselfknowntotheworldmainlyby .