36 AUSTRALIAN SKY & TELESCOPE February | March 2019
PIONEER by Gabriella Bernardi
SILAS ELLSWORTH COLEMAN,THE ELEMENTS OF PHYSICS(1906) / PUBLIC DOMAINCAROLINE HERSCHEL is probably the most famous
female astronomer of the early modern era. In 1772, h
celebrated brother William, discoverer of Uranus, brou
her to England, where she helped him in his activities,
first as a singer and then as an astronomer. Although t
little woman (a disease in her youth limited her growt
about 4 feet 3 inches) had to work under the supervisi
of her renowned brother, she was gradually able to pur
an independent astronomical career sprinkled with sev
important successes. She discovered 14 deep sky object
including galaxies and open clusters that William late
included in his catalogue, as well as eight comets; the fi
of these comets, discovered on the night of August 1, 1
is now designated C/1786 P1 Herschel.
In the Herschel era, the discovery of a comet was
reputed to be so important that it led to another histor
milestone. In the year following Caroline’s first comet
discovery, King George III recognised her astronomical
work (as an assistant to her brother) and assigned her
salary of 50 pounds per year. This made Caroline Hers
the first salaried woman astronomer, at least in moder
history. Almost 50 years later, near the end of her life,
and Mary Somerville became the first female members
the Royal Astronomical Society.
Given the enormous difficulties that women faced a
the time, Herschel built an impressive career, and her
importance should not be underestimated, even if it
turns out that she was not the first professional woman
astronomer. In fact, primacy should be awarded to ano
European astronomer. In 1787 Caroline Herschel
became the first woman in the United Kingdom to be
paid as an astronomer, but the second in the world.
The honour of first had already been earned by the
German observer, Christine Kirch.The family tree
Anecdotal evidence tells us that in her childhood,
Christine used to mark the time, or time intervals,ELittle is known about the exact
the Kirch household, but the clock was
lum with an escapement anchor, like
hread and nut on the bottom of the
e user to adjust the rate of the clock. The
d through a fork (A) and transferred its
r rod (B), which turned on a horizontal
ved escapement anchor was attached
when the pendulum was in motion,
escapement wheel (D) connected with
bs. This press of tooth-on-anchor
to the pendulum to reduce the angle
ch meant that it required less energy
h children made a game of counting
eep track of time while observing.with a pendulum. From Galileo
onwards, the pendulum had
been used in Europe for
timekeeping. Astronomers
usually used a seconds
pendulum, which had a period
of two seconds (one second
er swing). While tracking the
dulum’s motion was probably a
for Christine, it was actually a
o her family. She was the first
ter of two astronomers, and at
her with her brother and sister,
amily business.
Maria Margarethe Winkelmann,
6 in Guben, Germany. Christine
brother, Christfried, in 1694,
by a sister, Margaretha, in 1703.
ren in the family, but we only
Christine, Christfried and
er, Gottfried Kirch, was one of the
stronomers of the 18th century. He
discovery of a comet made with a
for the detection of the variabilityWho was the first woman
paid to study the stars?The world’s first female
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the one shown here(E).Ath
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pendulum rodpasse
motion to an uppe
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theteethofthe
the anchor’s lim
was transmitted
ofits motion, whi
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help to
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the age of 10 she, toget
wasinstructedinthef
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gavebirt h toher in 169 6
had been preceded by a b
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have information about
Margaretha.) Their fathe
mostfamous German a
was famous for thefirst
telescope, in 1680, andfA
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