a biography of the day-caroline herschel (mathmetician, astronomer, 1st woman to discover comet)

[niyad]

Caroline Herschel


Dates: March 16, 1750 - January 9, 1848
Known for: first woman to discover a comet; helping discover the planet Uranus
Occupation: Mathematician, astronomer
Also known as: Caroline Lucretia Herschel
Background, Family:

Father: Isaac Herschel, court musician and amateur astronomer
Siblings included: William Herschel, musician and astronomer


Born in Hanover, Germany, Caroline Herschel gave up on getting married after a bout with typhus left her growth stunted seriously. She was well-educated beyond traditional women's work, and trained as a singer, but she choose to move to England to join her brother, William Herschel, then an orchestra leader with a hobby in astronomy.

In England Caroline Herschel began assisting William with his astronomical work, while she trained to become a professional singer, and began to appear as a soloist. She also learned mathematics from William, and began helping him with his astronomy work, including grinding and polishing mirrors, and copying his records.
Her brother William discovered the planet Uranus, and credited Caroline for her help in this discovery. After this discovery, King George III appointed William as court astronomer, with a paid stipend. Caroline Herschel abandoned her singing career for astronomy. She helped her brother with calculations and paperwork, and also made her own observations.

Caroline Herschel discovered new nebulae in 1783: Andromeda and Cetus and later that year, 14 more nebulae. With a new telescope, a gift from her brother, she then discovered a comet, making her the first woman known to have done so. She went on to discover seven more comets. King George III heard of her discoveries and added a stipend of 50 pounds annually, paid to Caroline. She thus became the first woman in England with a paid government appointment.
. . . .

She later published her own work cataloguing stars and nebulae. She indexed and organized a catalogue by John Flamsteed, and she worked with John Herschel, William's son, to publish a catalog of nebulae.
After Willliam's death in 1822, Caroline had to return to Germany, where she continued writing. She was recognized for her contributions by the King of Prussia when she was 96, and Caroline Herschel died at 97.
. . .

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/scienceastronomy/p/herschel.htm