New Views of William Herschel (1738-1822)

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the death of William Herschel, one of the greatest astronomers in history, the following illustrated talks were presented on 5 March 2022. "New Views" refer largely to Herschel's non-astronomical life, in particular, musical and other aspects of his life in Hanover, Yorkshire, and Bath before he became an astronomer upon his discovery of Uranus in 1781 at age 42. One presentation includes a performance of one of his viola concertos; another looks at how Herschel's fame and discoveries led to his inclusion in poetry. Another two look at his close research connections with his sister Caroline and son John.
The session was dedicated to the memory of the preeminent Herschel scholar Michael Hoskin (1930-2021). It was sponsored by the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society.

PROGRAM

0:00:00 William Herschel's Life as a Musician (1738-1766)
- Woodruff Sullivan (U. of Washington, Seattle)

0:37:00 The Music and Musical Life of William Herschel
- Sarah Waltz (U. of the Pacific)

1:14:00 William and Caroline Herschel’s Astronomical Cottage Industry: Corporate Knowledge Production in the age of the Romantic Genius
- John Mulligan (Rice U.)

1:34:00 BREAK

1:47:00 North German Influence in the Viola Concertos of William Herschel
- David Koerner (Northern Arizona U.)
2:06:00 "Live" performance by the speaker of a Herschel viola concerto

2:16:00 The Poetic Legacy of William Herschel
- Clifford Cunningham (U. of Southern Queensland)

2:37:00 John Herschel: Establishing the Sidereal Revolution of William Herschel
- Stephen Case (Olivet Nazarene U.)

2:55:00 Informal Q&A and discussion

3:22:00 End of program