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Caroline Herschel was a German astronomer known for discovering comets during her lifetime. She was a pioneer in the field of astronomy for other women. She is the first woman recognised as a scientist in England and to receive a salary. She is known for being a woman who broke gender barriers and achieved so many accomplishments as an astronomer and a scientist despite being in a male-dominated field. She worked with her brother William Herschel most of the time during the beginning of her scientific career. She helped him discover the planet Uranus. The Caroline Herschel biography states that she was a sickly child, but that didn’t stop her from becoming an astronomer, discovering comets and accomplishing great heights in the field of astronomy.
Caroline Herschel Biography
Early Life
Caroline Lucretia Herschel was born on March 16, 1750, in Germany. She was a sickly child growing up. She had smallpox when she was 3 years old that left blemishes on her face. She contracted typhus when she was 10 years old. This stunted her growth and also made her lose the vision in her left eye.
According to the Caroline Herschel biography, her mother always believed that Caroline would never find a husband and made her the family’s domestic servant. Sometimes her father would tutor her alone to provide for her education, and her brother would teach her when her mother was not around.
When her father passed away, she left her hometown with her brother William to Bath, England, where she would take lessons on regular arithmetic, singing lessons and English from her brother William. She went on to become a distinguished vocalist who was offered to perform at the Birmingham Festival, but she turned down that offer to spend more time with her brother in astronomy.
Career
Caroline began her scientific career as an assistant to her brother William, helping him build his telescope and cooking for him. In 1871, William discovered the planet Uranus giving Caroline credit for her help.
She made her first discovery on 26th February 1783, a nebula that wasn’t mentioned in the Messier Catalogue. She then decided to make her catalogue that was organised by north polar distance. This led her to discover comet Nebulae and Andromeda and 14 others in the same year.
She discovered 8 comets on her own between the years 1786 to 1797, for which she was accredited and recognised independently.
Later Life and Death
Caroline moved back to her hometown after her brother’s demise in 1822 and continued her studies to verify her brother’s discoveries. In her later years, she wrote memoirs. It was during this time she received awards for her accomplishments.
She passed away on 9th January 1848 and is buried next to her parents.
Caroline Herschel Discoveries
35P/Herschel–Rigollet
On 21st December 1788, Caroline Herschel discovered the 35P/Herschel–Rigollet, a periodic comet that bears her name and has an orbital period of 155 years. Later that night, her brother William Herschel observed it and explained that it looked like a bright nebula about 5-6 minutes in diameter, much bigger than the planetary nebula M57.
Roger Rigollet later rediscovered it on 28th July 1939, after whom the comet has also been named.
The next time the 35P/Herschel–Rigollet would be closest to the sun would be on 13th or 17th February 2092 or on 16th March 2092.
Caroline Herschel’s other discoveries include the rediscovery of Comet Encke in 1795. It is a periodic comet that finishes an orbit of the Sun every 3.3 years.
Caroline Herschel Facts
Here are some of the facts about Caroline Herschel:
- The first woman to discover a comet was Caroline Herschel
- Her brother William Herschel was also an astronomer. Caroline worked with him during her scientific career
- Caroline Herschel is the first woman who received a salary as a scientist and the first woman in England to hold a government position
- Herschel was the first woman to be awarded a Gold Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society in the year 1828
- Herschel was also the first woman to obtain honorary membership of Britain’s distinguished Royal Society
- There is a lunar crater named after her called C.Herschel and an asteroid called Lucretia
- She was remembered for her many scientific accomplishments and was awarded a Gold Medal for Science by the Prussian king in 1846 at the age of 96
- Caroline Herschel rediscovered the Comet Encke in 1795.
Conclusion
Caroline Herschel was an astronomer whose important contributions to astronomy were the findings of numerous comets, including 35P/Herschel–Rigollet, the periodic comet. She was the sister of astronomer William Herschel, with whom she worked throughout her scientific career.
She was the first woman to acquire a salary as a scientist and the first woman in England to hold a government position. She is the first woman to be awarded a Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society and to be named a Member of the Royal Astronomical Society. The Prussian king presented her with a Gold Medal for Science on the occasion of her 96th birthday.
