The planet Uranus was discovered by William Herschel on 13 March 1781- the first planet to be discovered since ancient times. This talk will provide a top level overview of the Uranus system including the planet itself, its satellites and rings, both from amateur and professional observations. This description will be set in part, in the context of Herschel’s discovery of the planet and his subsequent observations.

Mike is the director of the British Astronomical Association’s (BAA) Saturn, Uranus and Neptune Section and is also on the committee of the BAA’s Jupiter Section. He has been interested in astronomy since a young age and is an active observer; particularly of the Moon and planets. Mike also has been to a number of Total Eclipses of the Sun. For many years, he has given various talks to amateur astronomical societies and also participates in the BAA Back to Basics courses, which are aimed at beginners in amateur astronomy.

Mike has worked in the spacecraft industry for a number of years on both communications and scientific satellites. Apart from astronomy, his interests include rock music, sport and hill walking.