Abstract
Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was born on November 15, 1738 in Hanover, Germany. His father Isaac was a musician with the regimental band of the Hanoverian Guards. Wilhelm's formal education was only very basic. However, Isaac instilled in his children a love of music and an interest in observing the heavens. This, combined with Wilhelm's own thirst for knowledge, meant that his learning was only just beginning when he left school at the age of 14 to join his father as a military bandsman.