Henrietta Swan Leavitt
Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an American astronomer whose pioneering work in the early 20th century significantly advanced our understanding of the universe. Here are key details about her life and contributions:
Biographical Information
- Birth: July 4, 1868, in Lancaster, Massachusetts.
- Death: December 12, 1921, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Education: Attended Oberlin College, where she studied classical languages, but later turned to astronomy after graduating in 1892.
- Work: Employed at Harvard College Observatory as a "computer", calculating data from photographic plates.
Scientific Contributions
- Period-Luminosity Relationship: Leavitt's most famous discovery was the period-luminosity relationship for Cepheid variable stars. In 1912, she published a paper showing that the brightness of these stars could be used as a "standard candle" for measuring distances in the universe.
- Impact: Her work laid the groundwork for Edwin Hubble to determine the distance to other galaxies and ultimately prove the expansion of the universe.
- Recognition: Although her work was underappreciated during her lifetime due to the gender biases of the era, she was later recognized for her contributions. In 2015, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics named a new astronomy building in her honor.
Legacy
Leavitt's work has had a lasting impact on astronomy:
- Her period-luminosity relationship remains a cornerstone of distance measurement in modern astronomy.
- She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Her story has been featured in numerous books, documentaries, and even inspired characters in popular culture, like in the play "Silent Sky" by Lauren Gunderson.
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