Caroline Herschel

Today we are surprised by the contribution of women in the development of exact sciences, but three centuries ago was an extraordinary event, especially since education was the property of men. So life and work of Caroline Lucretia Herschel and her contribution to science was extraordinary. (Brock, 2007, 172 - 173)

Caroline Herschel was born on March 16, 1750 in Hannover (now Germany) and was the daughter of Isaac Herschel and Anna Ilse Moritzen. Caroline was the sister of William Herschel and niece of John Herschel. His father played the oboe in an orchestra of Hanover and although he had not received a formal education gave her four sons and two daughters a good education. Herschel home of interesting discussions were held about music, philosophy and astronomy, but Caroline's mother disapproved of their daughters participate in them, as they wanted for learning in the work necessary for what was then considered a good wife. Caroline, however showed great interest in the issues that his mother and his father disapproved quietly began to teach the knowledge he possessed. When in 1757 the French occupied Hanover, his father went to war on the other hand his brother William Herschel, with whom he shared his concerns astronomical Caroline, moved to England as a music teacher. His mother then sent her to learn to knit and stayed away from the intellectual concerns of Caroline. Because of the malformation that typhus was ten years (his height was 1.30 m) Caroline refused to be independent because it was difficult for her marriage and devoted herself to caring for his father until his death. But when I was 22, his brother William claimed it from Bath (England) to tend his house and she agreed to the chagrin of his mother who saw it lost a maid. (Hoskin, 2008, 186 - 188)

Both her brother William and Jacob enter the same band in which her father worked. When Caroline was seven, her brothers, to join the military band is marching to the Seven Years' War. After witnessing a battle, decided that the army is not your thing and, encouraged by his father, fled to England. There continue to study music. Her brother William was the first teacher and later organist at Halifax. In Bath, he was an oboist and organist at the Octagon Chapel, with thirty years.

Her father died when Caroline was sixteen, and her mother forces her to cook, clean and sew. Six years later, her brother William and Caroline rescues went to England to live with him. (Feyl, 1991, 45-56)

Caroline thought to make a living as a singer, but William's interest in astronomy crossed her path. She dedicated her life to helping her brother, carving glasses, watching together and preparing snacks for not stop eating. William settled in her house a foundry, and with the help of Caroline, designed and built her own telescopes, even polished metal mirrors up to sixteen hours straight, giving them a concave shape to get perfect focus light into a sharp ...