We all know about Saturn’s rings. They were first observed by Galileo in 1610 but what about the planet itself. Turns out most of the focus of early astronomers (indeed even modern astronomers) has been on the rings but take a look at this letter in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London for June 6, 1776. Messier and Magellan turned their attention to the planet itself and observed banded clouds similar to those on Jupiter.


This interesting feature allowed the famous astronomer Herschel, not William Herschel who discovered Uranus but rather his equally talented SISTER Caroline Herschel, to observe the speed at which Saturn rotates at one revolution every 4.75 hours. Unfortunately, given the biases of the day, the official presentation these findings in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London was made by William.

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Published by Michael Carver

My goal is to bring history alive through interactive portrayal of ordinary American life in the late 18th Century (1750—1799) My persona are: Journeyman Brewer; Cordwainer (leather tradesman but not cobbler), Statesman and Orator; Chandler (candle and soap maker); Gentleman Scientist; and, Soldier in either the British Regular Army, the Centennial Army, or one of the various Militia. Let me help you experience history 1st hand!