In the early 20th century, a young woman named Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin made a groundbreaking discovery about the composition of stars, despite facing discrimination because of her gender. Here’s her story:
More info: www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk
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Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was born in England in 1900 and dreamed of becoming a scientist from a young age. She went to Cambridge University, where she studied natural sciences, but couldn’t receive a degree because the university didn’t grant degrees to women until later.
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Facing limited opportunities for women in science in the UK, Cecilia moved to the United States to pursue astronomy. She joined Harvard University and became the first person to earn a doctorate in astronomy from Radcliffe College.
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Her remarkable thesis argued that stars are mainly made of helium and hydrogen, which was a revolutionary idea at the time. However, her supervisor convinced her not to present her thesis, and another astronomer published her findings as his own.
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Despite these challenges, Cecilia persisted in her work and eventually received recognition for her groundbreaking research. She became the first woman professor at Harvard and the first woman to chair the Department of Astronomy.
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Cecilia’s story is one of perseverance and determination in the face of discrimination. Her discoveries changed our understanding of the universe and paved the way for other women to pursue careers in science.
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Today, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin is remembered as one of the greatest astronomers in history, whose contributions continue to inspire scientists around the world.
