How did William Herschel’s work as a musician lead to his interest in astronomy?

William Herschel’s transition from a professional musician to an astronomer was driven by his intellectual curiosity regarding the mathematical foundations of his craft. While working as an organist in Bath, he moved from the practical performance of music to studying its underlying theory in Robert Smith’s Harmonics.1

This study of harmonics led him to read another of Smith’s works, A Compleat System of Opticks. This book introduced Herschel to the principles of telescope construction, which sparked a deep interest in observing the night sky. His desire to study distant celestial bodies beyond the Sun, Moon, and planets eventually compelled him to grind his own mirrors and build superior instruments, ultimately leading to his discovery of Uranus and a full-time career in astronomy.1