How King George III dodged having Uranus named after him

When William Herschel discovered the seventh planet from the Sun in 1781, it marked a historic moment in astronomy. But what is less well known is that Uranus was almost named Georgium Sidus – or “George’s Star” – in honour of King George III, a gesture reflecting the royal patronage that supported Herschel’s work.

According to NASA, Herschel initially proposed Georgium Sidus as the name for his groundbreaking discovery. This was at the urging of the Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne, who encouraged Herschel to pay tribute to the monarch who was a benefactor of science. The Royal Museums Greenwich further explains that Maskelyne played a key role in prompting Herschel to choose the name, which Herschel accepted, at least temporarily.

However, the name quickly became a subject of debate. Critics argued that the term Georgium Sidus was inconsistent with the established naming convention of planets—each named after mythological gods rather than contemporary figures. Furthermore, many pointed out that calling a planet a “star” (sidus) was misleading, since stars and planets are very different celestial bodies.

The German astronomer Johann Bode was a vocal opponent of the royal name. In 1782, he proposed naming the new planet Uranus, after the ancient Greek god of the sky. This choice was more in keeping with the tradition set by the names of other planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, both named after Roman deities. Notably, in Roman mythology, Caelus, the sky god and counterpart to Uranus, is considered the father of Saturn, who is in turn the father of Jupiter—maintaining a mythological family lineage that appealed to astronomers.

Ultimately, Bode’s suggestion gained traction and Uranus became the accepted name worldwide. Despite this, Georgium Sidus remained in use in Britain for some time, a lingering homage to King George III and his era’s intersection of monarchy and science.

Today, Uranus is firmly established in the pantheon of planets, but the story of Georgium Sidus serves as a fascinating footnote—a reminder of how science, politics, and tradition can collide in the naming of the cosmos.