Born in 1750, Caroline Herschel worked as assistant to her astronomer brother William. But she also made her own discoveries of nebulae, stars & 8(!) comets.
In 1787, King George III employed Caroline as her brother's assistant, including a small salary that made her one of the first women paid for their contributions to #science.
Mariam took the science of astrolabes to the next level and over a thousand years later, she becomes a central character in the science-fiction novel Binti.
Caroline Herschel was not the first woman paid for her contribution to #science , both the German astronomer Maria Kirch (1670–1720) and the Italian physicist Laura Bassi (1711–1778) predate her in this
Laura Bassi, in 1732, was proclaimed Doctor of Philosophy and became an honorary member of the "College of Doctors of Philosophy" and was assigned the chair of "Philosophia universa" with an annual salary of 500 "Bolognese liras."
Being a woman, such a position was an obvious scandal. As a result, she had to marry Giuseppe Veratti, a physician and professor, in 1738.
In 1745 she was accepted, as a supernumerary member, into the "class of Benedictine academicians," and this gave her an extra salary of 100 liras.
She, and her husband, maintained a well equpped home-lab for more than 30 years where they trained students, conducted experiments and hosted international researchers visiting them.
Her salary was steadily and considerably increased over the next 30 years.
Regardless of being a woman, and due to her international scientific recognition, she was finally appointed Professor of Experimental Physics by the Bolognese Senate in 1776. She died two years later.
Her scientific imprint is that of a leader of her time. She first explored Newt... show more
Laura Bassi, in 1732, was proclaimed Doctor of Philosophy and became an honorary member of the "College of Doctors of Philosophy" and was assigned the chair of "Philosophia universa" with an annual salary of 500 "Bolognese liras."
Being a woman, such a position was an obvious scandal. As a result, she had to marry Giuseppe Veratti, a physician and professor, in 1738.
In 1745 she was accepted, as a supernumerary member, into the "class of Benedictine academicians," and this gave her an extra salary of 100 liras.
She, and her husband, maintained a well equpped home-lab for more than 30 years where they trained students, conducted experiments and hosted international researchers visiting them.
Her salary was steadily and considerably increased over the next 30 years.
Regardless of being a woman, and due to her international scientific recognition, she was finally appointed Professor of Experimental Physics by the Bolognese Senate in 1776. She died two years later.
Her scientific imprint is that of a leader of her time. She first explored Newtonian philosophy and became one of the pioneers of differential calculus and the study of electricity.
She mentored people of the likes of Lazzaro Spallanzani and Luigi Galvani, and was an active member of the international "Respublica literaria" participating in all the fundamental debates in anatomy and physiology that raged at the time, such as the distinction between "vis irritabilis" and "vis sensitiva" proposed by Albrecht von Haller.
Forgotten for too long, she was a keen observer of nature, a committed experimenter and forged a generation of students in the use of mathematics in the natural sciences.
It really doesn’t matter who the first woman was who was paid for her scientific contributions, the point is women were paid for their contributions. They probably weren’t fairly paid, but they were the inspiration for girls in their time. I think the whole “Girls can STEM.” concept needs an overhaul. Girls have been “STEMMING since the birth of science.
"hey Brother, as I slave over this telescope every night I think this star is actually a planet, further out from the Sun that Saturn. What do you think?" William Herschel 'discovers' Uranus
I enjoyed visiting the Herschel Museum in Bath a few years ago. Gives a real insight into their life - including the fact that they did much of their observing from the back garden, which shows how much darker skies were then in cities.
I wonder if Caroline Herschel was the model for the character Christine Wood (born Hatherleigh) in Patrick O'Brian's historical novels (The Aubrey–Maturin series).
Christine Wood, in the novels, was wife of a territorial governor and sister to a scientist and acquaintance of the one of the title characters, Stephen Maturin, a noted anatomist and thinker. In her, he finds a strong mind and scientific equal, if not his better.
I always thought there might be some hidden history there.
I work as sysadmin for he astronomy department of the local university, we name our computers after deceased astronomers, we of course have a machine named Herschel 🙂
She did the hard part, spending hours at the telescope gathering data he presented. She did eventually get some credit and that was good, considering the time, but it was a small token of what she deserved.
Not to mention she would sit at an open window even through the winter to log sightings William called down from his observing station. I've read that on at least one occasion the ink in her bottle froze because it was so cold.
Ms AB ☕
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Grumpy Penguin 🇦🇺 🇮🇱 🕯️
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Dr Vicka Poudyal
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in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/mariam-al-astrulabi-a-muslim-woman-behind-the-10th-century-astrolabes-43479
Mariam al Astrulabi: A Muslim woman behind the 10th-century astrolabes
TRTWorld (TRT World)Thony Christie
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Alessandro D'Ausilio
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Being a woman, such a position was an obvious scandal. As a result, she had to marry Giuseppe Veratti, a physician and professor, in 1738.
In 1745 she was accepted, as a supernumerary member, into the "class of Benedictine academicians," and this gave her an extra salary of 100 liras.
She, and her husband, maintained a well equpped home-lab for more than 30 years where they trained students, conducted experiments and hosted international researchers visiting them.
Her salary was steadily and considerably increased over the next 30 years.
Regardless of being a woman, and due to her international scientific recognition, she was finally appointed Professor of Experimental Physics by the Bolognese Senate in 1776. She died two years later.
Her scientific imprint is that of a leader of her time. She first explored Newt... show more
Being a woman, such a position was an obvious scandal. As a result, she had to marry Giuseppe Veratti, a physician and professor, in 1738.
In 1745 she was accepted, as a supernumerary member, into the "class of Benedictine academicians," and this gave her an extra salary of 100 liras.
She, and her husband, maintained a well equpped home-lab for more than 30 years where they trained students, conducted experiments and hosted international researchers visiting them.
Her salary was steadily and considerably increased over the next 30 years.
Regardless of being a woman, and due to her international scientific recognition, she was finally appointed Professor of Experimental Physics by the Bolognese Senate in 1776. She died two years later.
Her scientific imprint is that of a leader of her time. She first explored Newtonian philosophy and became one of the pioneers of differential calculus and the study of electricity.
She mentored people of the likes of Lazzaro Spallanzani and Luigi Galvani, and was an active member of the international "Respublica literaria" participating in all the fundamental debates in anatomy and physiology that raged at the time, such as the distinction between "vis irritabilis" and "vis sensitiva" proposed by Albrecht von Haller.
Forgotten for too long, she was a keen observer of nature, a committed experimenter and forged a generation of students in the use of mathematics in the natural sciences.
86AE86
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •William Herschel 'discovers' Uranus
Jon Sparks
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •mike mahaffie
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Christine Wood, in the novels, was wife of a territorial governor and sister to a scientist and acquaintance of the one of the title characters, Stephen Maturin, a noted anatomist and thinker. In her, he finds a strong mind and scientific equal, if not his better.
I always thought there might be some hidden history there.
Donovan Young
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Planetarium by Adrienne Rich | Poetry Foundation
Poetry FoundationValheru
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in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •William and Caroline Herschel
BBCStargeezer Smith
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