The world’s first female PROFESSIONAL ASTRONOMER

CAROLINE HERSCHEL is probably the most famous female astronomer of the early modern era. In 1772, her celebrated brother William, discoverer of Uranus, brought her to England, where she helped him in his activities, first as a singer and then as an astronomer. Although this little woman (a disease in her youth limited her growth to about 4 feet 3 inches) had to work under the supervision of her renowned brother, she was gradually able to pursue an independent astronomical career sprinkled with several important successes. She discovered 14 deep sky objects, including galaxies and open clusters that William later included in his catalogue, as well as eight comets; the first of these comets, discovered on the night of August 1, 1786, is now designated C/1786 P1 Herschel.

In the Herschel era, the discovery of a comet was so milestone. In the year following Caroline’s first comet discovery, King George III recognised her astronomical work (as an assistant to her brother) and assigned her a salary of 50 pounds per year. This made Caroline Herschel the first salaried woman astronomer, at least in modern history. Almost 50 years later, near the end of her life, she and Mary Somerville became the first female members of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Given the enormous difficulties that women faced