
Astronomer whose discovery let us measure the universe.
Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an astronomer who studied special stars called Cepheid variables that change brightness over time. She discovered a relationship between how bright these stars are and how long their cycles last. This gave astronomers a 'ruler' to measure distances in space.
Era
1900s
Field
Astronomy
Astronomer whose discovery let us measure the universe.
Science · Astronomy · 1900s · Women in STEM
Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an astronomer who studied special stars called Cepheid variables that change brightness over time. She discovered a relationship between how bright these stars are and how long their cycles last. This gave astronomers a 'ruler' to measure distances in space.
Discovered the period-luminosity relationship that lets astronomers measure cosmic distances.
Her discovery is still used to map the universe and understand how far away galaxies are.
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org