Posted on 03/20/2017 5:03:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Consider the discovery of Uranus. While this planet had been viewed on many occasions by astronomers in the past, it was only with the birth of modern astronomy that its true nature came to be understood. And with William Herschels discovery in the 18th century, the planet would come to be officially named and added to the list of known Solar Planets.
The first recorded instance of Uranus being spotted in the night sky is believed to date back to the 2nd century [sic] BCE. At this time, Hipparchos the Greek astronomer, mathematician and founder of trigonometry apparently recorded the planet as a star in his star catalogue (completed in 129 BCE).
This catalog was later incorporated into Ptolemys Almagest, which became the definitive source for Islamic astronomers and for scholars in Medieval Europe for over one-thousand years.
...
John Flamsteed, who in 1690 observed the star on six occasions and catalogued it as a star in the Taurus constellation (34 Tauri). During the mid-18th century, French astronomer Pierre Lemonnier made twelve recorded sightings, and also recorded it as being a star. It was not until March 13th, 1781, when William Herschel observed it from his garden house in Bath, that Uranus true nature began to be revealed.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
It's huge. And it's filled with smelly gases.
That’s none of your business. How did yours get its name.
Because it wasn’t Myanus.
Interesting how Disney named the dog Pluto, the god of the underworld. Maybe the dog Pluto was a hyper boxer dog. And of course plutonium for that bomb.
Ur an us (urinous) is what one become after having too many beers.
Ya’ll have just turned this thread into a complete FARCE!!
I would report ya’ll to the authorities; but I’ve had a
laugh out of it and would be a total hypocrite. I KNEW when
I clicked on the thread that it would take a nasty turn.
Sigh. :o(
I named mine after A. A. Milne’s famous bear...
“Actually the correct pronunciation is Ur an us, not Ur an us.”
So does that mean it’s like the anus of Ur, worse than being the armpit of New Jersey?
I slay me.
You mean Pooter?
Exactly. Both pronunciation are a minefield for a Jr High science teacher.
Someone post the Shepherd Smith open mouth picture...
How Did Uranus Get its Name?
A snickering asstromer named the planet!
Mork: “Hey Gork I gotta go!”.
Gork: “No problem, you can use Uranus. It is the next system over!”.
When my kids were little, my wife got them underwear with that bear on it. I asked, “why would you buy underwear with Pooh on it?”
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Not that you asked, but the first I read that I had been pronouncing it wrong was an article by Isaac Asimov that declared that Ur’ an us was correct and that everyone had been pronouncing it wrong for ages. When I looked it up in a dictionary, both pronunciations were listed as proper. Then I bought a copy of Uranometria 2000—a star atlas. Reading “Uranometria” with a long-a sound sounded kind of hick-like.
Herschel wanted to name it Georgium after his king—it never hurts to suck up to the boss.
I’m just here for the comments.
You call it Winnie?
Did you know they’re doing new research in DC, using lawyers instead of rats; for 3 reasons. 1. There are more lawyers than rats in DC. 2. Some people LIKE rats. 3. They can get lawyers to do things that rats won’t do.
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