Henrietta Swan Leavitt
Astronomer whose discovery let us measure the universe.
Their Story
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
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
Astronomer whose discovery let us measure the universe.
Science · Astronomy · 1900s · Women in STEM
Their Story
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.
Key Innovation
Discovered the period-luminosity relationship that lets astronomers measure cosmic distances.
Why It Matters Today
Her discovery is still used to map the universe and understand how far away galaxies are.
Learn More
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Swan_Leavitt
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org
