William Herschel — Questions and answers

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What did William Herschel first discover on March 13, 1781?

Choices

  1. A comet
  2. A new star
  3. A planet (Uranus) ✓
  4. A black hole

Answer: A planet (Uranus)

From page 1

Before Herschel's discovery, how many planets were generally known to exist?

Choices

  1. Two
  2. Four
  3. Six ✓
  4. Eight

Answer: Six

From page 2

What was Herschel's main goal when he spent hours perfecting mirrors for telescopes?

Choices

  1. To earn a lot of money.
  2. To make a telescope for his friends.
  3. To see deeper into space. ✓
  4. To sell his telescopes to other scientists.

Answer: To see deeper into space.

From page 4

How did Herschel describe the Milky Way galaxy?

Choices

  1. As a perfect circle of stars.
  2. As a flattened disc of stars with our Sun inside it. ✓
  3. As a random collection of stars.
  4. As a single giant star.

Answer: As a flattened disc of stars with our Sun inside it.

From page 8

What is one major reason why William Herschel's legacy is so important?

Choices

  1. He taught music to many students.
  2. He discovered new types of musical instruments.
  3. He proved that dedication and new tools can reveal secrets of the universe. ✓
  4. He was the first person to build a telescope.

Answer: He proved that dedication and new tools can reveal secrets of the universe.

From page 10