The German astronomer Caroline Herschel was born on 16 March 1750. Caroline discovered 8 comets and was the 1st woman to receive a Gold Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society (1828). The King of Prussia presented her with a Gold Medal for Science on her 96th birthday in 1846. She was only only 1.3 m tall, a good singer, and started out as just a hobbyist with her brother William, but, using high quality telescopes, they discovered more than 2400 astronomical objects over 20 years. She recorded all her discoveries and improved star maps. She also became the first woman to be paid for her work in astronomy. Her pension in 1787 was £50 a year, and it was the first money that Caroline had ever earned in her own right. What a woman!
FAMOUS MATHEMATICIANS & SCIENTISTS – Caroline Herschel
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