h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Caroline Herschel - Astronomer - A87937690
Author: SashaQ - happysad - U9936370

Here is a biography of a renowned astronomer.

Curiously and coincidentally, she died on 9 January, as did Maria Gaetana Agnesi A87936123 , so it is my honour to write about her.

Good Entry!
Not sure that it needs to be in there, but FYI there were two women elected at the same time as honorary members of the RAS in 1835, the first women to be so.
Along with CH, the other was Mary Somerville, to be found on Scottish £10 notes and who did significant work on the maths and measurement of orbital perturbations of the planets.

Thanks Pinniped

I added a footnote about Mary Somerville

Great Entry!

Thank you

Sorry - I read this at the time and thought I'd commented. Nothing to add really. Short and sweet (a bit like Caroline herself, by the sounds of it.

It's amazing how many people achieved so much in the 19th century - many of them even with disabilities. (I'm thinking of Robert Louis Stephenson with his asthma crossing to the Wild West of the United States over land, and there was an explorer whose name escapes me who had to practically be carried round the world as he had so many illnesses and disabilities)

The sentence mentioning that she met Gauss is rather enigmatic - where, when and why? Did they actually converse? Is anything known about the encounter?

What an amazing person! No comments: this seemed completely clear to me.

I'm a little surprised at the heightism, but attitudes must have varied a lot from time to time and place to place. Most sources say Lotte Moon, the famous China missionary and pioneer in women's education, was also 4'3". It never seemed to be a problem for her, but then, her family was about a century ahead of its time.

Thanks TC!

I investigated the meeting with Gauss and found an online copy of Caroline's letters, so I added the link and included some more detail, so that is very good

Thanks DG!

Yes, it is very interesting how disability is shaped by society as well as environment, so sometimes personal characteristics can be disadvantageous, yet at other times there is no problem...

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