Credit: © The Royal Society
                             
                         
                     
                         
                         
                             
                                 Image number: RS.9810
                             
                         
                         
                     
                 
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            Structure of the Milky Way galaxy
                                Date
                            
                            
                                1785
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Creator
                            
                            
                                William Herschel (1738 - 1822, German-British) , Astronomer
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Object type
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
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                                Material
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Dimensions
                            
                            
                                height (drawing): 321mm
width (drawing): 179mm
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            width (drawing): 179mm
                                Subject
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Content object
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Description
                            
                            
                                Plate 8 figure 4 from the paper “On the construction of the heavens”, by William Herschel, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol.75 (1785), pp.213-266.
Illustration of a section through the galaxy, leading Herschel to the conclusion that “our nebula...is of the third form; that is: A very extensive, branching, compound Congeries of many millions of stars.”
Inscribed in pencil verso with publication details. Not signed. Watermarked “CP”.
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            Illustration of a section through the galaxy, leading Herschel to the conclusion that “our nebula...is of the third form; that is: A very extensive, branching, compound Congeries of many millions of stars.”
Inscribed in pencil verso with publication details. Not signed. Watermarked “CP”.
                                Associated place