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Science Stories

ASTRONOMY

1781

William

Herschel sees

a new planet illustration shows
A 19th-century
William Herschel
and his sister
Caroline at their
40-foot telescope

espite CP Snow’s contention in 1959 An immigrant from Hanover, when his death. Whereas he is credited with
Dthat there is a gulf between scientists Herschel observed Uranus he was earning discovering Uranus, she is celebrated for
and ‘literary intellectuals’, two centuries his living as a musician in Bath. Displaying being the first woman to report a new
ago poets were fully aware of the latest the passion of a late convert, he started dedi- comet, which she had found by patiently
scientific discoveries. After a drink- cating his entire life to astronomy. He also trawling the skies with a small telescope
fuelled night discussing Homer, the forced his younger sister, Caroline (1750– very different from the gigantic instru-
medical student John Keats wrote his 1848), to abandon her musical career and ment they used together. Acting as a
famous lines comparing his own act as his assistant. Their success depended tourist guide, she had conducted eminent
wonderment with that of “some watcher on hard work and unusually large telescopes visitors through its tube. “Come,” she
of the skies/When a new planet swims that collected enough light to make small, heard George III say to the Archbishop of
into his ken”. Keats was referring to distant objects visible. Canterbury, “I will show you the way to
William Herschel (1738–1822), the Craftsmen often recruited daughters or Heaven!”
astronomer who had enlarged the solar wives to help run family businesses, but Looking back, it seems that William
system with a seventh planet, now the Herschels developed an exceptionally treated her appallingly, but like many
known as Uranus. close relationship. By day, Caroline polished women of the period, Caroline colluded
Historians like pinning discoveries mirrors, calculated data and compiled cata- in this downtrodden state. “I am noth-
down to an exact time and place, but in logues, while at night she brought coffee ing, I have done nothing,” she wrote; “a
this case it’s simply not possible. Uranus to keep them awake as they worked together well-trained puppy-dog would have done
had already been spotted many times, in the dark and cold. as much” – a self-abnegating remark that
but was always assumed to be a star. In Awards for William poured in, but cannot simply be dismissed.
1781, after noticing that ‘34 Tauri’ moved recognition for Caroline came only after In 1835, the Royal Astronomical Society
across the skies, Herschel suggested it was made Caroline an honorary member,
a comet. He clung to that belief for two formulating this early statement of equal
years, long after other experts had decided Herschel suggested opportunities: “While the tests of astro-
it was a planet. In 1783 he was rewarded nomical merit should in no case be applied
for his discovery by the king with an an- that Uranus was to the works of a woman less severely than
nual salary and an invitation to Windsor. to those of a man, the sex of the former
Diplomatically (or ingratiatingly?) a comet and should no longer be an obstacle to her
Herschel named his planet George’s Star, clung to that belief receiving any acknowledgement which
but European astronomers objected to might be held due to the latter.”
such chauvinism, and it was only in 1850 for two years The language may be outdated, but the
that British authorities finally adopted sentiments are modern.
ALAMY the German proposal of Uranus. Words: Patricia Fara

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