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Caroline Lucretia Herschel was born on March 16, 1750, into a family of musicians in Hanover. At the age of three, she narrowly survived smallpox, which scarred her face. A few years later, typhus stunted her growth: as an adult, she stood less than 1.4 metres tall. Her mother believed that her appearance meant she would never marry and intended her to do the family’s housework. Caroline was the only surviving daughter among the siblings. Yet, virtually without his wife’s knowledge, her father gave her a thorough education—the same education he had given her brothers—reminding us of the often underestimated role fathers play in educating their daughters. Her father died when she was 17, leaving her at the mercy of the rest of the family.
When she was 22, her brother William—baptised Wilhelm Friedrich—brought her to join him in England, where he had established himself as a musician, initially to keep house for him. William was a renowned composer whose music is still performed and is familiar to listeners of classical radio stations. He trained his sister as a singer, and she soon became a highly regarded soprano. A career in opera beckoned, but she refused to appear in productions not conducted by her brother.

A professional astronomer

William Herschel’s true passion was astronomy, and he abandoned music to devote himself to it. Caroline gradually came to share and encourage this passion. He began building telescopes and once again drew his sister into the venture. They became renowned instrument makers. Their reputation grew further when William discovered the planet Uranus, earning him an appointment as the King’s Astronomer. Caroline then played an essential role in their joint work. She excelled at calculations, observations, polishing mirrors and assembling instruments.