Caroline Herschel

Caroline Lucretia Herschel

Born: 16 March 1750 in Hannover, Hanover (now Germany)
Died: 9 Jan 1848 in Hannover, Hanover (now Germany)

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Caroline Herschel was the sister of William Herschel and the aunt of John Herschel. After the French occupation of Hanover in 1757, William escaped to England, where he became a music teacher. In 1766 William became an organist in Bath and, in 1772, Caroline joined him there. After arriving in Bath, Caroline trained as a singer giving successful performances.

In 1787 the Herschels moved to Old Windsor and King George III gave Caroline a £50 per year salary as assistant to William. William had been appointed astronomer to the King George III five years earlier.

In 1788 the Herschels moved to Slough. Every night William observed and Caroline recorded his observations. By day Caroline would work on the results obtained by night. She carried out the lengthy calculations necessary to reduce William's data.

In 1798 Caroline submitted to the Royal Society an Index to Flamsteed's observations together with a list of 560 stars which had been omitted.

Caroline returned to Hannover after William's death in 1822. There she completed her catalogue of 2 500 nebulae. In 1828 the Astronomical Society awarded her its gold medal for her work.

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. A M Clerke, The Herschels and Modern Astronomy (1895).
  3. C A Lubbock (ed.), The Herschel Chronicle: The Life-Story of William Herschel and His Sister Caroline Herschel (1933).
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JOC/EFR February 1996