In Our Time

William and Caroline Herschel


Listen Later

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss William Herschel (1738 – 1822) and his sister Caroline Herschel (1750 – 1848) who were born in Hanover and made their reputation in Britain. William was one of the most eminent astronomers in British history. Although he started life as a musician, as a young man he became interested in studying the night sky. With an extraordinary talent, he constructed telescopes that were able to see further and more clearly than any others at the time. He is most celebrated today for discovering the planet Uranus and detecting what came to be known as infrared radiation. Caroline also became a distinguished astronomer, discovering several comets and collaborating with her brother.

With

Monica Grady

Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University

Carolin Crawford

Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge and an Emeritus Fellow of Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge

And

Jim Bennett

Keeper Emeritus at the Science Museum in London.

Studio producer: John Goudie

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

In Our TimeBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

5,021 ratings


More shows like In Our Time

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,684 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,217 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

508 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

522 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

898 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

294 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,055 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,884 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

598 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

725 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

280 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

863 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

240 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

293 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,789 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

357 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

228 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

316 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,190 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,198 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

14,241 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,830 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

68 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

753 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

998 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

496 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,343 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

617 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

250 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

276 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

27 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

87 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

9 Listeners