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- DISCOVERY OF URANUS: 1781
-
- Barely visible to the naked eye, the seventh
- planet of the solar system was not discovered until
- 1781 by British astronomer Sir William Herschel.
- Originally called Herschel (in honor of its
- discoverer), the planet was renamed Uranus in the
- 19th century. This bluish-green gas giant planet
- revolves around the sun once every 84 years.
- Uranus's discovery sent astrologers scrambling to
- determine what significance the planet has in
- creating astrological horoscopes.
- In Greek mythology, Uranus was the god of the
- heavens and husband of the earth goddess, Gaea.
- Uranus begat the Cyclopses and the Titans who (led
- by Cronus) deposed and mutilated Uranus. Uranus's
- blood fell to the Earth and from it came the three
- Furies who avenge the crimes of patricide and lying.
-