Sir Frederick William Herschel, FRS KH, German Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel, (15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert and composer who became famous for discovering Uranus. He also discovered infrared radiation and made many other discoveries in astronomy.

He was born Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now Lower Saxony, Germany, as one of ten children (of whom four died very young). His father was Isaac Herschel (1707-1768), an oboist of the Hanover Military Band. In 1755 the Hanoverian Guards regiment, in whose band William and his brother Jacob were engaged as oboists, was ordered to England. At the time, the crowns of England and Hannover were united under George II. This brief visit made an impression, and the next year the brothers resigned from the Guards band and moved to London. William learned English quickly and, at age nineteen, he changed his name to Frederick William Herschel.

He played the cello besides the oboe and, later, the organ. During a concert in 1767, Herschel showed off his versatility by performing an oboe concerto, violin concerto and harpsichord sonata. He composed numerous musical works, including 24 symphonies and many concertos, as well as some church music. Apart from a few oboe concertos, his music is largely forgotten today.