Caroline Herschel discovered three nebulae. Nebulae are clouds where stars form. She discovered the three nebulae with a telescope. Before making her own discoveries, Caroline had worked with her brother William Herschel who was also an astronomer. She had helped her brother with his calculations which prepared her to move forward in her own work. She had spent lots of time looking at the heavens with a small Newtonian reflector. She discovered the three nebulae in 1783.

Caroline Herschel also discovered eight comets. She discovered these from 1786 to 1797. Caroline made this discovery by using a telescope. Since she had spent time working with her brother William Herschel who was also an astronomer, this gave her practice with astronomy.