Herschel

(Uranus): after its discoverer, William Herschel.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhɝʃl̩/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhɜːʃl̩/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ʃəl

Herschel

1. A surname.
2. A male given name.
3. (astronomy, obsolete) The planet Uranus. In use until the mid-19th century as an alternative to Georgium Sidus after King George III.
4. (astronomy) One of several impact craters in the Solar System, such as the one on Mimas.
5. A place name:
   1. A special service area in the Rural Municipality of Mountain View No. 318, Saskatchewan, Canada.
   2. A former settlement on Herschel Island, Yukon, Canada.
   3. A settlement in Eastern Cape province, South Africa, named after Sir John Herschel.

Herschel (plural Herschels)

1. (cellular automata) A heptomino shaped like the lowercase letter h, critical as a methuselah.
   • 1996 November 16, Paul Callahan, “Still-life glider reflector found”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):

     This Herschel could be sent through stages of Buckingham's components, producing an arbitrary excess of gliders along a variety of different paths.

   • 1999 October 7, Mirek Wojtowicz, “Conway's Life: Glider reflector?”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):

     This uses Paul Callahan's catalysis of a glider into a Herschel and a glider, followed by David Buckingham's 77, 64, 64, 77, and 77 gen Herschel moves.

   • 2007 May 12, Dave Greene, “Wanted: 2D CA, "as complex" but "denser" than Life”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):

     In Conway's Life, for example, a surprising number of small patterns serendipitously create R-pentominos and/or B-heptominos, which are "tamable" and happen to travel very well; this is what allows Herschel circuitry to be built.

• D-heptomino, J-heptomino