CHAPTER II. 



HERSCHEL THE DISCOVERER. 



ONE result of Herschel's discoveries among the 

 stars and nebulae is that his studies of the Sun 

 and planets, with the exception of the discovery 

 of Uranus, have been completely thrown into 

 the shade. Nevertheless, his work in solar 

 and planetary astronomy alone would have 

 gained for him a higher position in astronomy 

 than his contemporaries. The planets, satellites, 

 and comets were all attentively studied by the 

 great astronomer ; indeed, the scientific inves- 

 tigation of the surfaces of Mars and Saturn 

 began with Herschel. 



" His attention to the Sun," Miss Clerke truly 

 remarks, " might have been exclusive, so diligent 

 was his scrutiny of its shining surface." Sun- 

 spots were specially investigated by Herschel, 

 who closely studied their peculiarities, regarding 

 them as depressions in the solar atmosphere. 

 He also paid much attention to the faculse, but 



