William Herschel Quotes

• I have looked farther into space than ever a human being did before me.

  William Herschel

  Science, Space, Mystery

  36 Copy quote

• Seeing is in some respect an art, which must be learnt.

  William Herschel

  Art, Seeing

  William Herschel (2013). “The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel”, p.33, Cambridge University Press

  34 Copy quote

• The phenomena of nature, especially those that fall under the inspection of the astronomer, are to be viewed, not only with the usual attention to facts as they occur, but with the eye of reason and experience.

  William Herschel

  Fall, Eye, Science

  74 Copy quote

• The heavens are now seen to resemble a luxuriant garden, which contains the greatest variety of productions, in different flourishing beds.

  William Herschel

  Science, Garden, Heaven

  William Herschel (2013). “The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel”, p.337, Cambridge University Press

  33 Copy quote

• I have looked further into space than ever human being did before me. I have observed stars of which the light, it can be proved, must take two million years to reach the earth.

  William Herschel

  Stars, Science, Light

  36 Copy quote

• The undevout astronomer must be mad.

  William Herschel

  Mad, Astronomers

  27 Copy quote

• Since stars appear to be suns, and suns, according to the common opinion, are bodies that serve to enlighten, warm, and sustain a system of planets, we may have an idea of the numberless globes that serve for the habitaton of living creatures.

  William Herschel

  Stars, Moon, Ideas

  21 Copy quote

• He broke through the barriers of the skies.

  William Herschel

  Science, Sky, Memorial

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• The difference of the degrees in which the individuals of a great community enjoy the good things of life has been a theme of declaration and discontent in all ages; and it is doubtless our paramount duty, in every state of society, to alleviate the pressure of the purely evil part of this distribution, as much as possible, and, by all the means we can devise, secure the lower links in the chain of society from dragging in dishonor and wretchedness.

  William Herschel

  Mean, Differences, Evil

  21 Copy quote

• I have tried to improve telescopes and practiced continually to see with them. These instruments have play'd me so many tricks that I have at last found them out in many of their humours.

  William Herschel

  Play, Telescopes, Lasts

  "The Herschel Chronicle: the Life-story of William Herschel and his Sister". Book by Constance Anne Lubbock, Caroline Herschel, 102, 1933.

  19 Copy quote

• We need not hesitate to admit that the Sun is richly stored with inhabitants.

  William Herschel

  Needs, Sun

  William Herschel (2013). “The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel”, p.482, Cambridge University Press

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• We see it [the as-yet unseen, probable new planet, Neptune] as Columbus saw America from the coast of Spain. Its movements have been felt, trembling along the far-reaching line of our analysis with a certainty hardly inferior to that of ocular demonstration.

  William Herschel

  Science, America, Unseen

  The Living Age ..., Volume 169, p. 460, 1886.

  28 Copy quote

• That planet has a considerable but moderate atmosphere. So that the inhabitants probably enjoy a situation in many respects similar to ours.

  William Herschel

  Atmosphere, Mars, Planets

  William Herschel (2013). “The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel”, p.156, Cambridge University Press

  14 Copy quote

• By reflecting a little on this subject I am almost convinced that those numberless small Circuses we see on the moon are the works of the Lunarians and may be called their Towns.

  William Herschel

  Moon, Circus, Towns

  7 Copy quote

• In the fabulous ages of ancient times the appellations of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were given to the planets as being the names of their principal heroes and divinities. In the present more philosophical era, it would hardly be allowable to have recourse to the same method, and call on Juno, Pallas, Apollo, or Minerva for a name to out new heavenly body. . . . I cannot but wish to take this opportunity of expressing my sense of gratitude, by giving the name Georgium Sidus, to a star [Uranus], by which (with to respect to us) first began to shine under His auspicious reign.

  William Herschel

  Gratitude, Stars, Hero

  15 Copy quote

• The difference of the degrees in which the individuals of a great community enjoy the good things of life has been a theme of declaration and discontent in all ages.

  William Herschel

  Differences, Community, Age

  9 Copy quote

• ... finding that in [the Moon] there is a provision of light and heat; also in appearance, a soil proper for habitation fully as good as ours, if not perhaps better who can say that it is not extremely probable, nay beyond doubt, that there must be inhabitants on the Moon of some kind or other?

  William Herschel

  Science, Moon, Light

  William Herschel (2013). “The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel”, p.90, Cambridge University Press

  8 Copy quote

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