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Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin

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1900-1979 · Astronomy, astrophysics, spectroscopy
Anglo-American astronomer who first showed that stars are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Her doctoral dissertation of 1925 is considered one of the most brilliant in the history of astronomy. Despite initial resistance, her conclusions radically changed ideas about the chemical composition of stars.

Biography

Born in England, studied at Cambridge but did not receive a degree, as women were not awarded degrees at that time. Moved to the US, to the Harvard Observatory, where she worked under Harlow Shapley. In 1925 she defended her doctoral dissertation at Radcliffe College. Later became a professor at Harvard, the first woman to hold this position on a full-time basis. Married to astronomer Sergei Gaposchkin. Received many awards, including the Henry Norris Russell Prize.

Key discoveries

💡 When she presented her findings, leading astronomer Henry Norris Russell convinced her to downplay the significance of the results, as they contradicted the generally accepted opinion. Later, he himself confirmed her correctness and acknowledged her contributions.
Quote: "The reward of the young scientist is the excitement of realizing that you are the first in human history to see or understand something."
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hydrogenred dwarfspectroscopy
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