William Herschel

Sir Wilhelm Friedrich Herschel (Hanover, November 15 1738 – August 25 1822 Slough, then in Buckinghamshire now in Berkshire) was a German-born British astronomer and composer who became famous for discovering the planet Uranus, and made many other astronomical discoveries.

Discovery of infrared radiation

Herschel discovered infrared radiation by passing sunlight through a prism and holding a thermometer just beyond the red end of the visible spectrum. The thermometer indicated a temperature increase and this led to Herschel's conclusion that there must be an invisible form of light.

Related Topics:
Infrared radiation - Sunlight - Prism - Thermometer - Red - Visible spectrum - Temperature - Invisible - Light

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