In Our Time: Science cover image

William and Caroline Herschel

In Our Time: Science

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Herschel's Spectroscopy

Newton introduced the reflecting telescope using mirrors. He had two mirrors in his telescopes, which required both to be of very, very specific curvatures. Herschel changed that by actually just having the single mirror and viewing an object more directly. By 17 76, he has three large, working telescopes of the kind that he couldn't really have bought from anyone. Why? Because there hadn't been, nobody had made them.

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