Born Feldhausen, (South Africa), 5 February 1836
Died Slough, Berkshire, England, 18 June 1907
Alexander Herschel developed early methodologies for studying meteor spectra visually, and he correctly interpreted the physical significance of the resulting data. He also discovered an important harmonic law of molecular spectroscopy.
Herschel was the second son of 12 children born to John Herschel and Margaret (née Stewart) Herschel. Alexander’s earliest education was under private tutelage, but at 15 years of age, in 1851, he was sent to Clapham Grammar School in London, then under the headmastership of the Reverend Charles Pritchard (who later became Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford). Clapham Grammar School was renowned for its science-teaching curriculum; Herschel excelled in the mathematical and physical sciences during his time at the school. In 1855, Herschel proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a BA as 20th wrangler in 1859; he was further...
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Selected References
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Beech, M. (2014). Herschel, Alexander Stewart. In: Hockey, T., et al. Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9917-7_609
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