William Herschel (& the days of the week)

[Sean]

Better known for discovering Uranus in 1781 he also wrote a bunch of three movement symphonies; I've been listening to 2 & 8 and maybe there's a hint of Boyce and the detailed English writing, alongside the Handelian tradition.

So much for Herschel. A more interesting question is why it too so long to find Uranus.

All the ancients missed it, despite it being just visible if you know exactly where to look in dark skies (Neptune is just beyond visibility): why nobody noticed its slow movement is a minor mystery to modern astrononomers. If they had blinking found it, we'd have had the far more sensible eight days in a week, rather than the indivisible seven...

The days come from the seven visible celestial objects that move independently of the background stars-

Saturday (Saturn)
Sunday (the sun)
Monday (the moon, or think for instance French Lundi ie lunar)
Tuesday (Mars- French Mardi)
Wednesday (Mercury- French Mercredi)
Thursday (Jupiter- French Jeudi)
Friday (Venus- French Vendredi)

[sul G]

A more interesting question is why it too so long to find Uranus.

Speak for yourself, Sean. Tried a mirror? 

[sul G]

Sorry, I couldn't resist. There was a time when I was fascinated by Herschel - with his strange biography - and Thomas Linley Jr - with his life that mirrored Mozart's so uncannily. (The two moved in the same circles in 18th century Bath, of course). What I've heard of Herschel's is not of the quality of Linley, though - the latter was a spectacular prospect, an exact contemporary of WAM's, and his childhood friend, whose talent was lost even younger (to drowning).

[Sean]

Sure, I did get hold of the CD with In yonder grove & The Tempest on and there's a distinct voice there; similar to Arne perhaps but bolder and issuing from a clear thinking mind...