William Herschel

British astronomer and composer, born November 15, 1738 in Hannover, Germany and died August 25, 1822 in Slough, England. Mostly known as the discoverer of the planet Uranus in 1781, the first planet discovered since antiquity. He also did pioneering work with double stars, discovered two moons of Saturn and two of Uranus and discovered Infrared Radiation from the Sun. At his peak, he was internationally known for his telescope building, which he sold through the U.K. and Europe. Before his career as an astronomer, he was first known as a composer and oboist. He composed numerous musical works, including 24 symphonies and many concertos, as well as some church music.