Herschel Museum of Astronomy

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  • Address
    19 New King St, city centre
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  • Phone
    446865

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Lonely Planet review

The classical composer turned telescope maker William Herschel lived in a town house on King St, now the Herschel Museum of Astronomy. Herschel's achievements included the discovery of Uranus in 1781 and the construction of several pioneering telescopes, including a gargantuan 40ft (12m) refractor built in 1785.

Unfortunately the reality never quite lived up to the design: the mirror quickly fogged up and the elaborate mechanics, which required several operators who communicated via a speaking tube, ultimately proved unworkable. His 7ft (2m) models were more successful - a replica of one can be seen in the museum's lobby.