On the night of 13 March 1781, while peering through his telescope in the quietude of his garden observatory, William Herschel spotted a celestial body he initially mistook for a comet.
Unlike the stars surrounding it, the object displayed a slow, deliberate movement, yet lacked the characteristic tail of a comet, perplexing the astronomer.
As further observations ensued, Herschel deduced that this enigmatic body followed a nearly circular orbit, leading astronomers to conclude that it was not a comet but an entirely new planet—Uranus—the first to be discovered in recorded history.
This serendipitous revelation expanded the known boundaries of the solar system and cemented Herschel’s legacy in the annals of astronomy.
