by Caroline Herschel, the first English professional female astronomer, made contributions to astronomy that are still important to the field today. But even many astrologers might not recognize her name.
Most scientists are concerned with the newest techniques, data and theories in their field, but often don’t know much about the history of their discipline. Astrologers, like me, are no exception.
It wasn’t until I taught an introductory astronomy class that I learned about Caroline. Now, thanks to a new exhibition of her papers at the Herschel Museum in Bath, England, others will be able to learn about her too. His story illustrates not only the priorities of astronomy but also how credit is assigned in the field.
His path to astronomy
Born in 1750, Caroline Herschel did not have an easy childhood. After a bout with typhus left her scarred at a young age, her family assumed she would never marry and treated her as an unpaid servant. She was forced to do household chores, despite having a keen interest in learning from a young age. She eventually ran away from her family to follow her older brother William Herschel, whom she loved, to Bath.
Caroline was a bit of a restless astrologer at first. She did not become interested in astronomy until William was already very interested in the subject. Although she spoke somewhat disparagingly of how she followed her brother into various interests, including music and astronomy, Caroline eventually admitted that she was interested in studying astronomical bodies.
Astronomers at the time were mainly interested in discovering new objects and mapping the heavens precisely. It was also popular to use telescopes to search for new comets and nebulae. William Herschel became famous after discovering Uranus in 1781, although he first extracted the planet from a comet.
At the beginning of her career, Caroline worked as William’s assistant. She focused mainly on astronomical instrumentation tasks, such as polishing telescope mirrors. She also helped copy catalogs and took careful notes about William’s observations. But then she started making up her own mind.
Searching the skies
In 1782, Caroline began recording the locations of new objects in her own log book. It was through this work that she discovered several comets and nebulae. On August 1, 1782, she discovered a comet – meaning she was the first person to see it in a telescope with her own eyes. This was the first comet discovery attributed to a woman. She discovered seven more comets in the next 11 years.
When Herschels work was in progress, it was the actual observation of an object that required public recognition, so Caroline was only given credit for the comets she saw through the telescope herself. For all her other work, such as recording and organizing all the data from William’s observations, she received less credit than William.
For example, when Caroline took all of William’s comments and compiled them into a catalogue, it was published under William’s name. Caroline is only mentioned as an “assistant” in the paper.
However, in recognition of her discoveries and her work as William’s assistant, King George III of England awarded Caroline a stipend, making her the first professional female astronomer.
Later in life, Caroline reorganized the same catalog more efficiently, as practicing astronomers interested in searching for comets looked at the night sky. This updated catalog was later used as the basis for the New General Catalogue, which astronomers still use today to organize the stars.
The Herschels created the first map of our galaxy, the Milky Way, although it is not quite accurate.
Who gets the credit in astronomy?
The recognition of scientific work within the astronomical community is quite different now than it was in Herschels day. In fact, the most credited astronomers today are those whose work looks very similar to Caroline’s – recording and organizing data about astronomical observations.
Astronomers rarely put their eyes up to the eyepiece of a telescope anymore, and many of the most important discoveries are made by telescopes in space. But astronomers still need to be able to make sense of all the data from these telescopes. Catalogs like Caroline’s are important tools for doing that.
Most people today have never heard of Caroline Herschel. Despite several astronomical objects – and even a satellite – being named after her, she does not have the same recognition as other astronomers of her era. Part of the lack of recognition is probably because her brother got all the credit for her catalog. Today, astronomers would credit them both.
Herschel is just one of a long line of female astronomers who have not received the credit they were due and whose work has been used to defend awards to male scientists instead. These questions are not only limited to 18th century science, but continue through modern astronomy as well. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who discovered the first radio pulsar, was left out of the 1974 Nobel Prize, and the award was instead awarded to her Ph.D. advisor.
Although astronomy has come a long way since the 18th century, astronomers still need to think carefully about how to fairly recognize those who participate in scientific discoveries. A small step towards giving credit where credit is due is to acknowledge the contributions of astronomers like Caroline Herschel.
This article has been updated to acknowledge other women astronomers who preceded Herschel.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a non-profit, independent news organization that brings you reliable facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by Kris Pardo, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Read more:
Kris Pardo does not work for, consult with, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article this, and has not disclosed any relevant connections beyond their academic appointment.
