Caroline Herschel Biography

Caroline Herschel was a German astronomer who contributed significantly in the field of astronomy. Her most significant contributions in the field of astronomy are the discoveries of several comets and particularly, the discovery of the planet, Uranus. In an era where the world was a lot more patriarchal, she overcame her challenges and went on to earn a place in history. Herschel was struck with typhus at a very young age. She was always very fond of her telescopes. In her free time, Herschel occupied herself with gazing at the stars and looking into the sky with her favourite Newtonian telescope. Her parents had imposed restrictions on Herschel at a young age, but it seemed like she was destined to reach for the stars. She migrated to England with the help of her brother and thereafter didn’t look back. After pursuing music for a while, she diverted her attention towards astronomy, at the insistence of her brother. Her dedication towards the field grabbed the eyes of the British Royals, who offered her a stipend. Apart from detecting a number of astronomical objects throughout her career, she even published some of her works. ‘The Catalogue of Stars’ is one such publication which was published by the ‘Royal Astronomical Society’. She is hailed as the first woman to discover comets.