Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Name Origin of Uranus-Extra Credit



William Herschel originally called Uranus "the Georgium Sidus" (the Georgian Planet) in honor of King George III of England. The name "Uranus" was first thought of by a German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in order for it to work with the other planetary names - which came from Greek mythology. Bode determined the orbit of Uranus and suggested the planet's name. Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens, the earliest supreme god. This name was not in use until 1850.

1 comment:

  1. Larissa, this post is very informative and interesting! It is great that you also did extra credit. One thing I enjoy about this post is that it gives a descriptive "who, what, when, where, and why" of Uranus's namesake. I have ZERO questions or suggestions for you.

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