Caroline Herschel - seeking stars in 18th-century Bath

Caroline Herschel was the younger sister of astronomer William Herschel, and worked with him in the 18th century on his studies of the night sky. Whilst he gained fame as the discoverer of the planet Uranus, Caroline was equally admired for her discovery of several comets. She was the first woman to receive a salary as a scientist.

Caroline and William were born into a musical family in the town of Hanover in Germany. William was born in 1738 and Caroline in 1750. William took the opportunity provided by the Hanoverian succession to come to England, ending up in Bath where his talents as a composer and performer gained him a succession of important positions. Fine music was a vital aspect of Bath's appeal to its upper class visitors.

In 1772 William rescued his sister from household drudgery with his parents, and brought her to live with him in Bath to run his household and sing with his orchestra.

William Herschel had become increasingly interested in astronomy, and Caroline began to assist him in this. In time, both siblings transferred their attentions from music to astronomy - spending nights star-gazing and days laboriously grinding and polishing mirrors to make telescopes. Their efforts paid off with numerous new discoveries.

William Herschel was invited to become court astronomer to King George III, and moved near Windsor with Caroline. She received a salary as her brother's assistant and became the first woman to receive a salary for services to science—at a time when even men rarely received wages for scientific enterprises.

During 1786–97 Caroline discovered eight comets, the first on 1st August 1786 while her brother was away and she was using his telescope. She wrote to Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society, and Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne about these discoveries.

When William married at the late age of 50, Caroline was somewhat displaced, but this distance between them helped her to be recognised as an astronomer in her own right. She received invitations to stay with the Royal Family and honours from the Royal Astronomical Society and the King of Prussia.

She died at the age of 97. The house where the two Herschels lived together in Bath is now the Herschel Museum of Astronomy.