Sir John Herschel, British astronomer, arrives in Cape Town

Sir John F.W. Herschel

Date: 15 Jan 1834
Updated: 14 Jan 2020

Sir John Frederick William Herschel was a British astronomer, mathematician, chemist and photographer. In 1833, he embarked on a journey to South Africa to catalogue the stars, nebulae, and other objects of the southern skies. He arrived in Cape Town on 15 January 1834 on a ship, accompanied by his wife Margaret Brodie Stewart. During their stay in the Cape, Herschel and his wife produced about 131 illustrations showing the Cape flora. He conducted his survey of the southern skies from an estate he stayed on Table Mountain. In 1838, the couple returned to Britain.

Search events by date

What happened on your birthday?

How we know this

01Britannica, Sir John Herschel, 1st Baronet, from Britannica, [online], Available at global.britannica.com [Accessed: 26 October 2013]
02NNDB, John Herschel, [online], from Noteworthy Nuclear Database, Available at www.nndb.com [Accessed: 26 November 2013]

Last updated · 14 Jan 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2014, January 10). Sir John Herschel, British astronomer, arrives in Cape Town. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096839

South African History Online (2014) 'Sir John Herschel, British astronomer, arrives in Cape Town', South African History Online, 10 January. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096839 (Accessed: 17 August 2026).

South African History Online, Sir John Herschel, British astronomer, arrives in Cape Town [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096839, (accessed 17 August 2026).

"Sir John Herschel, British astronomer, arrives in Cape Town." South African History Online, 10 Jan. 2014, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096839. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Sir John Herschel, British astronomer, arrives in Cape Town." South African History Online. January 10, 2014. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096839.