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Karolina GershelEnglish astronomer
Date of Birth: 16.03.1750
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Caroline Lucretia Herschel
- Early Life
- Astronomy Career
- Later Life and Achievements
- Caroline Herschel passed away on January 9, 1848, in Hanover.
Biography of Caroline Lucretia Herschel
Caroline Lucretia Herschel, born on March 16, 1750 in Hanover, Germany, was a British astronomer and the sister and assistant of William Herschel.
Early Life
Caroline lived with her mother in Hanover until 1772, helping her with household chores. She then moved to Bath, England, to live with her brother William, who had secured a position as a music teacher. In Bath, Caroline pursued her own music career and performed as a singer. Her last musical performance, alongside William, took place in 1782, when he was appointed as an astronomer to George III's court.
Astronomy Career
Caroline began assisting her brother in managing his household and polishing mirrors for telescopes. Gradually, she developed an interest in astronomy and started studying the sky using a small Newtonian reflector. In 1783, she discovered three new nebulae. Under William's guidance, Caroline learned the basics of mathematics and independently analyzed her own and his observations.
In 1787, Caroline was granted an annual pension of £50 by the King, appointing her as the assistant to the Royal Astronomer (William Herschel). Between 1786 and 1797, she discovered eight comets and several new nebulae. In 1798, she completed and presented a significant work to the Royal Society of London, an index and list of errors in John Flamsteed's star catalog. Additionally, she compiled a new supplementary catalog, including 561 stars that Flamsteed had missed.
Later Life and Achievements
After William's death in 1822, Caroline returned to Hanover and completed the preparation of the catalogs of nebulae and star clusters discovered by him, comprising over 2,500 objects. She also wrote memoirs about her collaborative work with her brother.
In 1828, Caroline was awarded the Gold Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society of London, and in 1835, she was elected an honorary member. In 1838, she became an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy of Sciences. Her name is commemorated on the Moon's map.
