John Herschel

Sir
John Herschel
Bt KH FRS
John Herschel, 1835 mezzotint by W. Ward, after H. W. Pickersgill
Born
John Frederick William Herschel

(1792-03-07)7 March 1792[1]
Slough, Buckinghamshire, England
Died11 May 1871(1871-05-11) (aged 79)[1]
Collingwood, near Hawkhurst, Kent, England
Resting placeWestminster Abbey
EducationEton College
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge
Known forContributions to the invention of photography
SpouseMargaret Brodie Stewart
Awards
Scientific career
Fields

Sir John Frederick William Herschel, 1st Baronet KH FRS (/ˈhɜːrʃəl, ˈhɛər-/;[2] 7 March 1792 – 11 May 1871)[1] was an English polymath active as a mathematician, astronomer, chemist, inventor and experimental photographer who invented the blueprint[3][4][5] and did botanical work.[6]

Herschel originated the use of the Julian day system in astronomy. He named seven moons of Saturn and four moons of Uranus – the seventh planet, discovered by his father Sir William Herschel. He made many contributions to the science of photography, and investigated colour blindness and the chemical power of ultraviolet rays. His Preliminary Discourse (1831), which advocated an inductive approach to scientific experiment and theory-building, was an important contribution to the philosophy of science.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference ODNB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Herschel". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference EncycBrit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference columbia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference vernacu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference HersNAH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cobb 2012, pp. 409–439.