'Uranus or Herschel'
Date
1845
Creator
Kenny Meadows (1790, British) , Illustrator
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 90mm
width (print): 148mm
width (print): 148mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Mythological interpretation of the planet Uranus, showing five putti (perhaps intended to represent the planet’s moons) one of whom is observing the planet and six moons through a telescope.
William Herschel’s original observation of Uranus in 1781 was followed by the ‘discovery’ of six satellites by him: of these, two were genuine (Titania and Oberon) and four spurious, although later astronomers discovered genuine additional moons.
Vignette above a calendar of anniversaries, festivals and other events for the month of December 1846; part of a proof sheet for the annual The Illustrated London Almanack (1846). Titled ‘URANUS OR HERSCHEL’, the illustration is not signed but the published annual contains an entry on the last page crediting the work to Meadows. Other engravings in the twelve-month series (of which this is a part) are initialled by the artist.
James Glaisher (1809-1903), astronomer and meteorologist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1849. He acted as scientific editor of The Illustrated London Almanack and collected these proof sheets as part of his editorial duties.
William Herschel (1738-1822) German-born British astronomer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1781. The discoverer of Uranus, or ‘Georgium Sidus’ as he originally named it, initially considered the object to be a comet.
William Herschel’s original observation of Uranus in 1781 was followed by the ‘discovery’ of six satellites by him: of these, two were genuine (Titania and Oberon) and four spurious, although later astronomers discovered genuine additional moons.
Vignette above a calendar of anniversaries, festivals and other events for the month of December 1846; part of a proof sheet for the annual The Illustrated London Almanack (1846). Titled ‘URANUS OR HERSCHEL’, the illustration is not signed but the published annual contains an entry on the last page crediting the work to Meadows. Other engravings in the twelve-month series (of which this is a part) are initialled by the artist.
James Glaisher (1809-1903), astronomer and meteorologist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1849. He acted as scientific editor of The Illustrated London Almanack and collected these proof sheets as part of his editorial duties.
William Herschel (1738-1822) German-born British astronomer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1781. The discoverer of Uranus, or ‘Georgium Sidus’ as he originally named it, initially considered the object to be a comet.