A tribute to the scientific contributions of William Herschel and his pioneering sister, Caroline, describes their establishment of surveying techniques that are still in use, Caroline's cataloging of nebulae, and William's discovery of infrared radiation.

This beautifully structured book presents the essentials of William and Caroline Herschel's pioneering achievements in late 18th-century astronomy. Michael Hoskin shows that William Herschel was the first observational cosmologist and one of the first observers to attack the sidereal universe beyond the solar system: Herschel built instruments far better than any being used at the royal observatory. Aided by his sister Caroline, he commenced a great systematic survey that led to his discovery of Uranus in 1781. Unlike observers before him, whose telescopes did not reveal them as astronomical objects, Herschel did not ignore misty patches of light. Hoskins points out Herschel's achievement in surveying, cataloguing, and describing them as nebulae and even coming to the correct conclusion that their structure evolved over time, with Newton's gravity being the agent of change. Herschel s surveys established a new astronomy looking at the universe rather than the planets! Michael Hoskins a

Having escaped domestic servitude in Germany by teaching herself to sing, and established a career in England, Caroline Herschel learned astronomy while helping her brother William, royal astronomer to George lll. Soon making sceientific discoveries in her own right, she swept to international scientific and popular fame. She was awarded a salary by the king in 1787--the first woman in Britain to make her living from science.

William Herschel rescues his sister Caroline from a life of drudgery in Germany and brings her to England and a world of music making and stargazing. Lina serves as William's assistant and the captain of his exhilaratingly busy household. An obsessive genius whom Lina adores and serves with the fervency of a beloved wife, her world collapses when William suddenly announces that he will be married.

"The Age of Wonder" explores the earliest ideas of deep time and space, and the explorers of "dynamic science": an infinite, mysterious Nature waiting to be discovered. Three lives dominate the book: William Herschel, his sister Caroline, and Humphry Davy.

"Once upon a time there lived a girl who swept floors and washed dishes, and was little more than a servant to her family. Until, one day, an invitation arrived. It was an invitation to a new country and a new beginning--a place where Caroline's dreams, her fascination with the night sky, and her extraordinary talent would open up a world of beauty and renown, and make her the belle of the scientific ball. From humble beginnings and in spite of many obstacles, Caroline Herschel and her brother William developed and built the best telescope in the world--in their back yard! Together they went on to discover a new planet, new moons, and vast arrays of unknown nebulae and comets. From a child who seemed doomed to a life of servitude, Caroline grew into a woman recognized by kings and queens-and a scientist whose work and discoveries continue to shine today. Pamela S. Turner and Vivien Mildenberger invite readers into Caroline Herschel's true Cinderella story in this inspiring account of t