Contents
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
Showing that stars consist mainly of hydrogen and helium.
Stellar Atmospheres · Stars of High Luminosity
- Born
- 10 May 1900
- Birthplace
- Wendover, United Kingdom
- Died
- 7 December 1979
More people
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a British-born American astronomer whose stellar research overturned assumptions about the composition of stars.
Early life
England
Grew up in Buckinghamshire and studied at St Paul’s Girls’ School.
Cambridge
Studied at Newnham College before moving to the United States in 1923.
Career
- 1923
Harvard Observatory
Began research supported by a fellowship for women.
- 1925
Doctorate
Earned her astronomy doctorate through Radcliffe College.
- 1956
Harvard professor
Became a professor and chaired the astronomy department.
Contributions
Stellar Atmospheres
Her thesis identified hydrogen’s overwhelming abundance in stars.
Stars of High Luminosity
Published a study of highly luminous stars.
Variable Stars and Galactic Structure
Published a book connecting variable stars with the galaxy’s structure.
Beyond the lab
Family and collaboration
Married astronomer Sergei Gaposchkin and worked with him on variable stars.
Music
Considered a musical career before committing to science.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Smithsonian Institution/Science Service, restored by Adam Cuerden. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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