Did the discoverer of Uranus know what an anus was?

Question

Uranus was discovered by William Herschel in 1781.
If the word "anus" was around, I can't believe that he didn't consider that people would turn this planet name into a perpetual joke!
P.S. How do you pronounce "Uranus" correctly anyway.. actually I have heard two pronounciations, both of which are funny, (1) "your anus" or (2) urine-us?

Answer 1

Nobody has this problem with Uranium, named after the same god. The stress is on the first syllable and to stress the "an" to draw attention to the word "anus" being contained therein is incorrect and immature.

The Greek name was Ouranus, The name was changed to Uranus as that would be the Roman spelling and all the other planets were Roman Gods not Greek.

Herschel did not name it Uranus. Herschel originally named it Georgium Sidus (George's Star) in honour of King George III. When it was pointed out that sidus means star and not planet, he rebaptised it the Georgian Planet.

This name was not acceptable outside of Britain. Lalande proposed in 1784 to name it Herschel; his proposal was readily adopted by French astronomers.

Prosperin, of Uppsala, proposed the names Astraea, Cybele, and Neptune (now borne by two asteroids and another planet). Lexell, of St. Petersburg, compromised with George III's Neptune and Great-Britain's Neptune. Bernoulli, from Berlin, suggested Hypercronius and Transaturnis. Lichtenberg, from Göttingen, chimed in with Austräa, a goddess mentioned by Ovid (but who is traditionally associated with Virgo). The name Minerva was also proposed.

Finally, Bode*, as editor of the Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch, opted for Uranus, after Latinized version of the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos.

The earliest publication to include Uranus in its title, was in 1823 (Schwerd, Opposition des Uranus 1821, Astronomische Nachrichten, Vol. 1, pp. 18-21). The name was in use in Germany at least as far back as 1791, however.

Examination of earliest issues of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1827 shows that the name Uranus was already the most common name used even by British astronomers by then, and probably earlier.

The name Georgium Sidus or "the Georgian" were still used infrequently (by the British alone) thereafter. The final holdout was HM Nautical Almanac Office, which did not switch to Uranus until 1850.

So the answer is; the name was chosen by a German-speaking astronomy editor, for whom the warped pronunciation possibilities would not have occured,

footnote

* Johann Elert Bode (1747 – 1826) was a German astronomer known for his reformulation and popularization of the Titius-Bode law as well as his works to determine the orbit of Uranus, for which he also suggested the name. He is also credited with the discovery of Bode's Galaxy (M81).

Answer 2

Uranus Discoverer

Answer 3

The "yur-anus" joke crops up often, and always from soppy little boys like you.

I am sure Herschel would not have given it a thought - he was mature.

Does it not occur to you that Americans have the same word for backside and a donkey?

Does it not occur to your little mind that a tit is a breast and a bird?

So, you cares what Uranus sounds like? Grow up, and if you can't ask a sensible question, go back to the little boys chat groups, there will be plenty of anus and fart jokes there, and nothing else besides.

Answer 4

Well, in greek, Uranus is pronounce more like ur - anos... or Ouranos. yer-anus is an americanized pronounciation.

Answer 5

Uranus (actually pronounced yer-an-us) was the name of a Roman god. All of the planets were named after Roman Gods.

Answer 6

A better question would be "Did the asker of this question know that Uranus was a classical Greek God, representing the early earth?" With a followup question of "Haven't you outgrown potty humor yet?"

Answer 7

I'm sure it never cross his mind, only a juvenile would resort to such.

Answer 8

probably.