An amateur astronomer doubled the size of the known solar system

William Herschel was scanning the night sky with a homemade telescope in his garden in 1781 when he spotted an object that refused to stay a point of light. He first assumed it was a comet. It turned out to be a new planet — Uranus — the first ever found that wasn't known to ancient observers.

— William Herschel, Account of a Comet — Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1781

One credited idea per card. No filler. Swipe the rest in Savvy.

Keep swiping — it's free Works right in your browser. No app store needed.

More Science

All Science cards →
More from William Herschel →

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.