Uranus is one of the outer planets of the solar system. It was discovered on March the 13th, 1781, by Sir William Herschel - and named Georgium Sidus - who also detected, on January the 11th, 1787, two of the Uranian satellites, Oberon and Titania. The mean distance of the planet from the sun is 1,782,000,000 miles, its period of revolution round the sun 84 years, its diameter 31,700 m., and though sixty-four times as big as the earth it is only fifteen times as heavy. Its period of rotation on its own axis is uncertain. Certain markings on its disk caused Brenner in 1896 to deduce a period of 8 hours 27 mins. Other estimates make the period approximately ten hours. Two further satellites have been discovered, Ariel and Umbriel, both by Lassell in 1851. The satellites are remarkable for revolving in a plane nearly at right angles to the orbit of the planet, and for having a retrograde motion. The spectrum of the planet indicates that the atmosphere contains a quantity of free hydrogen, and it is probable that the planet is still at a high temperature. Due to the irregularities in the orbit of Uranus, the remarkable mathematical and consequent telescopic discovery of Neptune was made. Research Uranus
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel was a German astronomer. He was born in 1784 and died in 1846. In 1810 he was appointed director of the observatory at Konigsberg. From 1824 to 1833 he completed a series of 75,011 observations on the celestial zone between 15 degrees north and 15 degrees south decimation. In 1840 he called attention to the probable existence of a planetary mass beyond Uranus, resulting in the discovery of Neptune. His principal works are the Elements of Astronomy published in 1818, and its continuations, the Tabulas Regiomontanae published in 1830 and Astronomical Researches published between 1841 and 1842. His determination of the parallax of the star 61 Cygni was one of his most noteworthy practical achievements. Research Friedrich Bessel
John Adams was an American politician. He was born in 1735 at Braintree (now Quincy) Massachusetts and died in 1826. He was educated at Harvard University, and adopted the law as a profession. His attention was directed to politics by the question as to the right of the English parliament to tax the colonies, and in 1765 he published some essays strongly opposed to
the claims of the mother country. As a member of the new American congress in 1774, 1775, and 1776 he was strenuous in his opposition to the home government, and in organizing the various departments of the colonial government. On 13th May, 1776, he seconded the motion for a declaration of independence proposed by Lee of Virginia, and was appointed a member of committee to draw it up. The declaration was actually drawn up by Jefferson, but it was John Adams who fought it through congress.
In 1778 he went to France on a special mission, but soon came back and again returned, and for nine years resided abroad as representative of his country in France; Holland, and England. After taking part in the peace negotiations he was appointed, in 1785, the first ambassador of the United States to the court of St James. He was recalled in 1788, and the following-year elected vice-president of the republic under George Washington. In 1792 he was re-elected vice-president, and at the following election in 1797 he became president in succession to George Washington. The commonwealth was then divided into two parties, the federalists, who favoured aristocratic and were suspected of monarchic views, and the republicans. Adams adhered to the former party, with which his views of government had always been in accordance, but the real leader of the party was Alexander Hamilton, with whom John Adams did not agree, and who tried to prevent his election. John Adams was a leader in the movement for independence an his presidency was marked by rivalry with fellow-Federalist Alexander Hamilton, controversy over government measures taken to curb political opposition, and a crisis in American relations with France.
His term of office proved a stormy one, which broke up and dissolved the federalist party. His re-election in 1801 was again opposed by the efforts of Alexander Hamilton, which ended in effecting the return of the republican candidate Jefferson. Thus it happened that when John Adams retired from office his influence and popularity with both parties were at an end, and he sunk at once into the obscurity of private life. He had the consolation, however, of living to see his son president. He died on the 4th of July, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and on the same day as Jefferson. His works were ably edited by his grandson Charles Francis Adams.
John Couch Adams was a British astronomer. He was born in 1819 and died in 1892. He studied at Cambridge, and was senior wrangler in 1843. His investigations into the irregularities in the motion of the planetUranus led him to the conclusion that they must be caused by another more distant planet, and the results of his labours were communicated in September and October, 1845, to Professor Challis and Airy the astronomer royal. The French astronomer Leverrier had by this time been engaged in the same line of research, and had come to substantially the same results, which, being published in 1846, led to the actual discovery of the planetNeptune by Galle of Berlin. In 1858 John Adams was appointed Lowndean professor of astronomy and geometry at Cambridge.
John Bodkin Adams was an English physician and alleged murderer. He was born in 1899 and died in 1983. In 1957 he was tried for the murder of an elderly patient who died in suspicious circumstances shortly after making Dr Adams a beneficiary in her will. Although he was acquitted, most students of the case believe the trial was a miscarriage of justice, and his guilt proven. Further investigations suggest that at least nine elderly ladies were poisoned by Dr Adams for financial gain. Research John Adams
Sir William Herschel was an Anglo-German astronomer. He was born in 1738 and died in 1822. He discovered the planetUranus. The son of a Hanoverian musician, he came to England in 1757, and was employed in the formation of a military band, and in conducting, while organist at Bath, several concerts, oratorios, etc.
Although enthusiastically fond of music, he had for some time devoted his leisure hours to the study of mathematics and astronomy; and being dissatisfied with the only telescopes within his reach, he set about constructing instruments for himself. Late in 1779 he began a regular survey of the heavens, star by star, with a 7-feet reflector, and discovered, on March the 13th, 1781, a new primary planet, named by him the Georgium Sidus, but now known as Uranus. This discovery extended his fame throughout the world, and brought him a pension of 400 pounds a year, with the title of private astronomer to the king.
Assiduously continuing his observations, he measured the rotation of Saturn, discovered two of its satellites, and observed the phenomena of its rings. He also discovered the satellites of Uranus, and observed the volcanic structure of the lunar mountains. At Slough, near Windsor, he erected a telescope of 40 feet length, and completed it in 1787.
William Herschel received much assistance in making and recording observations from his sister Caroline Herschel and latterly his brother, a skilful optical instrument maker, lent him valuable aid. In 1802 he laid before the Royal Society a catalogue of 5000 nebulse and clusters of stars which he had discovered. He was made DCL by the University of Oxford, and in 1816 was knighted. Research William Herschel
In Greek mythology, Cronos (Crunus) was a son of Uranus and Gaea. He succeeded to the throne of the gods when he castrated - with a flintsickle given him by his mother - and deposed Uranus at his mother's request. He married his sister Rhea. Research Cronos
Abbreviations
Research Oberon
