Three generations of Herschel family made major contributions to science. Brother and sister William and Caroline moved to England from Germany in 1755, initially to pursue careers in music, then turning to their other main interest of astronomy. William was knighted in 1816. After his death, Caroline returned to Germany.
William had made several telescopes before designing one with a 12-m-long tube and a mirror of polished metal. The rotating platform enabled the telescope to track objects across the sky. With this instrument, and a smaller one that was easier to use, William discovered Saturn’s moons Mimas and Enceladus, and then the planet Uranus and two of its moons (Titania and Oberon).
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