From the garden of their Georgian townhouse in Bath, a brother and sister made a series of extraordinary astronomical discoveries in the late 18th century.
Inside the Herschel Museum Exhibition on Uranus and the Milky Way
“It is a home,” Weir said. “Science does not take place in a vacuum. They would have had conversations about their discoveries across the dining table.”
“William and Caroline must have spoken about the shape of the Milky Way right here,” Weir said. “That would have been an unusual thing to talk about back then.”
Recognizing Caroline Herschel’s Astronomical Advances
William Herschel was a self-taught amateur astronomer who came to Bath from Germany in 1777. His sister followed, initially as a housekeeper.
Weir said: “William had to persuade her mother to let her come to Bath. He recognised her intelligence and once she got here, they were incredibly collaborative. They drove each other along, they understood each other.”
Encouraging Close Observation in a Digital Age
The pieces created by Weir are scattered around the house, meaning the visitor has to look for them. Weir said people were losing the art of observing closely.
“The Herschels were masters of long looking, something we are losing by scrolling,” she said.
“It’s really exciting for us – it feels like a thread being created through time,” she said.
Exhibition Schedule and Visitor Information
For full details, see here.
Did You Know?
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were William and Caroline Herschel?
William and Caroline Herschel were a brother and sister who made a series of extraordinary astronomical discoveries from the garden of their Georgian townhouse in Bath in the late 18th century. William was a self-taught amateur astronomer who came to Bath from Germany in 1777, and Caroline followed him, initially as a housekeeper, before becoming his assistant and making her own discoveries.
What is the theme of The As-Yet Unseen exhibition?
Created by artist Grace Weir, the exhibition in the house where the siblings worked and lived highlights their pioneering spirit and their domestic arrangements, while ensuring Caroline Herschel gets her share of the credit for the pair’s advances in science.
When does the Herschel Museum exhibition run?
The As-Yet Unseen runs from 5 September until 3 January 2027.
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