John Herschel

English polymath, mathematician, astronomer, chemist, inventor and photographer (1792–1871)

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Lived 1792–1871, aged 79United Kingdom

United Kingdom AcademicsAcademic

Wikipedia
77 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1792–1871
Aged 79
Awards
8
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

He named eleven moons across Saturn and Uranus, invented the blueprint, and set astronomy's calendar to Julian days — a polymath's sweep through mathematics, chemistry, and early photography that left practical marks still in use.

Biography

About

Born 7 March 1792, John Frederick William Herschel grew up in the shadow of his father William, who had discovered Uranus. He ranged across disciplines: mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, invention. He gave names to seven moons of Saturn and four around his father's planet, originated the Julian day system that astronomers still keep time by, and pioneered experimental photography — including the blueprint process. His investigations ran to colour blindness and ultraviolet's chemical effects. In 1831 his Preliminary Discourse laid out an inductive method for science, shaping how theory should…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from John Herschel

John Herschel

saidNov 1855

What God sends is welcome.

— Diary entry (November 1855), as quoted in The Shadow of the Telescope: A Biography of John Herschel by Günther Buttmann

John Herschel

said1831

We must never forget that it is principles, not phenomena, — laws not insulated independent facts, — which are the objects of inquiry to the natural philosopher.

— A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy (1831)

John Herschel

said1831