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Miss Leavitt's Stars: The Untold Story of the Forgotten Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe (Great Discoveries)by George Johnson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:How big is the universe? In the early twentieth century. Scientists took sides. One held that the entire universe was contained in the Milky Way galaxy. Their champion was the strong-willed astronomer Harlow Shapely. Another camp believed that the universe was so vast that the Milky Way was just one galaxy among billions — the view that would prevail, proven by the equally headstrong Edwin Hubble. Almost forgotten is the Harvard Observatory Computer — a human number cruncher hired to calculate the positions and luminosities of stars in astronomical Photographs — who found the key to the mystery. Radcliffe-educated Henrietta Swan Leavitt, fighting ill health and progressive deafness, stumbled upon a new law that allowed astronomers to use variable stars — those whose brightness rhythmically changes — as a cosmic yardstick. Miss Leavitt's Stars both a masterly account of how we measure the universe and the moving story of a neglected genus. Review:"In the early 1900s the 'computers' at the Harvard University Observatory were women, paid 25 cents an hour to pore over photographic plates taken with the university's telescope and to catalogue changes in the sizes and locations of stars. Henrietta Leavitt was an unmarried clergyman's daughter who began working at the observatory soon after graduating from Radcliffe. The director quickly recognized her skill and made generous allowances for the long absences occasioned by her apparently delicate health and family problems. New York Times science writer Johnson (Strange Beauty) relates that Leavitt's singular contribution to astronomy came when she recognized that cyclical changes in the size of Cepheids, giant variable stars, could be correlated with their luminosity. Once luminosity was known, a star's distance from Earth could be calculated. Leavitt wasn't interested in pushing her discovery to its logical conclusion, but other astronomers quickly grasped the ramifications for calculating the size of the Milky Way and the universe. In recent years, Leavitt has joined Rosalind Franklin in receiving long overdue recognition. Scant documentation exists for Leavitt's life aside from correspondence with the observatory, so readers shouldn't be surprised to discover that this excellent book is more about the search to measure the universe than about Leavitt's life. Nevertheless, it's a fine tribute to a remarkable woman of science. 10 illus. not seen by PW. Agent, Esther Newberg. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"Johnson's elegantly written tribute to a pioneering astronomer is highly recommended." Library Journal Review:"Johnson...was obviously drawn to Leavitt and her work many years ago, and he has written about it with penetrating intelligence." New York Times Review:"Unfortunate in life, Miss Leavitt is very fortunate in her biographer." Scientific American What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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