John F. W. (John Frederick William) Herschel

Born in England in 1792, Sir John Frederick William Herschel was the son of the astronomer William Herschel, but he built an extraordinary reputation in his own right. He studied mathematics at Cambridge and became one of the leading scientific figures of the 19th century, known not only for astronomy but also for work in chemistry, optics, and scientific method.

Herschel carried forward the family tradition of observing the heavens, producing major star catalogues and extending the study of double stars and nebulae. A long period of work in South Africa added hugely to European knowledge of the southern skies, and his writings helped make difficult science readable to a broader public.

He also played an important part in the early history of photography. Sources credit him with key photographic experiments and with introducing important photographic terms, while his work on processes including the blueprint showed how naturally he moved between theory and practical invention. He died in 1871, remembered as one of the great all-round scientific minds of his age.