Measure by Measure they touched the heaven

Luisa Spairani
Abstract:
The measure of distances is a recurring theme in astrophysics. The interpretation of the light coming from a luminous object in the sky can be very different depending on the distance of the object. Two stars or galaxies may have a different real brightness, although they may look similar. The correct measures came by women computers a century ago. Special mention to Williamina Fleming who supervised an observatory for 30 years working on the first system to classify stars by spectrum. Antonia Maury helped locate the first double star and developed her classification system. Henrietta Leavitt found a law to determine stellar distances. The most famous of the Harvard computers was Annie Jump Cannon. An expert in photography, she catalogued over 350,000 stars and expanded the classification system used today but was Henrietta Leavitt to leave an indelible mark.
Download:
IMEKO-TC4-METROARCHAEO-2019-97.pdf
DOI:
-
Event details
IMEKO TC:
TC4
Event name:
TC4 MetroArchaeo 2019
Title:

IMEKO TC4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Place:
Florence, ITALY
Time:
04 December 2019 - 06 December 2019