[doc1019]

The most humorously misnamed planet in the universe ... what was William Herschel thinking when he gave this name to our 7th planet?

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

what was William Herschel thinking when he gave this name to our 7th planet?

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Fortunately, many scientists have grown tired of all the juvenile jokes and have lobbied to have the 7th planet renamed “Urectum.”

[pax_et_bonum]

The most humorously misnamed planet in the universe ... what was William Herschel thinking when he gave this name to our 7th planet? _________
Actually, it's name is beautifully appropriate.

Ουρανυς (translated to English as "Uranus") is the ancient Greek word for heaven or firmament.

[Charles Henrickson]

The most humorously misnamed planet in the universe ... what was William Herschel thinking when he gave this name to our 7th planet?

"Uranus" is from the Greek word "ouranos" (pronounced "oo-rah-NOS"), which means "heaven" or "sky." And of course in their mythology there was a god to personify such.

[andyk]

When I learned the planets in elementary school in ‘79, it was your-anus.

It was only many years later that it became your-uh-nus.

Of course, at seven years old, I didn’t recognize the humor.

[kabumpo]

He was thinking of the father of Saturn/Chronos.

[aquila48]

” what was William Herschel thinking when he gave this name to our 7th planet?”

Uranus?

[Verginius Rufus]

Actually, Herschel wanted to name the planet after King George III—”Georgium Sidus” (George’s Star)—but other astronomers insisted on a name from classical mythology, like those of the other planets.

[Berosus]

Actually, I don’t think he named it. I once saw an astronomy book from the late 1700s, and it called the seventh planet “Herschel.”. Apparently somebody came along a while after the discovery and decided the planet should be named after an ancient god, like the others.