Henretta leavit in sky and telescope12/27/2023 Soon after, Harlow Shapley used the idea to estimate the size of the Milky Way galaxy. In 1913, Ejnar Hertzsprung figured out how to calibrate the relationship in order to estimate distances to far-off stars. Once the relationship between blinking rate and luminosity and the relevant evidence were published, other astronomers seized upon the idea as the key to estimating cosmic distances. In this publication, many other astronomers were able to read about and build on her ideas. In 1912, Leavitt’s observations and analysis were published in the Circular of the Astronomical Observatory of Harvard College. Leavitt’s ideas were supported by her meticulous observations and measurements of the brightness of variable stars, as recorded on photographic plates from a telescope in Peru. This research project focused on a single cluster of stars however, the idea could be tested by studying the many other clouds of variable stars in the universe and figuring out if their brightness and blinking rate fit the same rule. Brighter stars in this cloud had predictably slower blinking rates than dimmer stars. Leavitt’s idea that the blinking rate of variable stars is related to their intrinsic brightness was inspired by her observations of the clustered stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud. At the time, no one had an explanation for this unexpected revelation. Leavitt discovered that the period of a variable star - the length of time required for a star to go from its brightest to its dimmest point and then back again to the brightest (you can think of this as the star’s blinking rate) - is related to the star’s intrinsic brightness. This work was part of a larger project to survey the stars in order to learn more about how they work - what they are made of, why they are different from one another, how they produce energy, etc. Leavitt found that the brightest stars had the slowest blinking rates (longest periods). Leavitt’s most important work focused on variable stars - stars whose brightness changes regularly over time, slowly shifting between brilliant and dim. In 1893, she began work as a volunteer at Harvard College Observatory, collecting and analyzing data on the position, brightness, and color of stars. Henrietta Leavitt focused her curiosity on the stars in the sky. Nota (STScI/ESA).Ĭompare this example - an astronomical breakthrough kicked off by the work of Henrietta Leavitt - to the science checklist, and see how you think it measures up: Photo credit: Wikimedia and NASA, ESA and A. At right, a portion of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy neighboring ours that was the focus of her astronomical observations.
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