CAROLINE LUCRETIA HERSCHEL

Caroline Lucretia Herschel 1750-1848

Caroline Lucretia Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, born March 16, 1750.
She has worked with his brother Sir William Herschel. Caroline Herschel was the fifth child of this family of musicians.
In 1767, when his father dies, she is obliged to keep the house, she literally works like a slave.
In 1772, William, emigrated to England in recent years, invited him to join him in Bath.
She immediately accepted and began a singing career. However, his brother by astronomy hobbyists, the advertisement as an assistant.
In 1782, William devoted himself exclusively to astronomy. He moved close to Windsor Castle, where Caroline goes with it, thus ending his musical career.
In addition to attending his brother during the nights of observations, she works all day, taking home, responding to visitors, performing routine calculations but necessary, preparing catalogs and publications, and even polishing the mirrors.
In 1787, King George III recognizes his work as an assistant to William Herschel, and she gets a salary of 50 lire per year.
His work as an assistant is not limited only to note the comments of his brother.
Following the encouragement of it, it uses the telescope to its own research.
In 1783, she discovered three nebulae, one accompanying Messier 31 in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Between 1781 and 1797, she discovered no less than eight comets and is recognized as a full-fledged astronomer.
In 1798, she revises the star catalog of Flamsteed. His work is published by the Royal Society.
In 1788, William married and Caroline has to go live elsewhere.
This test is hard for her, but she still continues to work in astronomical work of his brother. When the latter died in 1822, she returned to Hanover until his death.
In 1828, the Royal Society awarded him the gold medal, in 1835 it was the first female honorary member, and in 1846 received the Gold Medal of Science by King Frederick William IV of Prussia. Caroline Lucretia Herschel died January 9, 1848 at the age of 98 years.

Image: Caroline Lucretia Herschel, whose main contribution to astronomy is the discovery of new comets, including the periodic comet 35P/Herschel-Rigollet, which bears his name.