The discovery became important to the measurement of interstellar and intergalactic distances. On the evening of December 12, 1921, as 53-year old astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt succumbed to cancer, heavy rains fell from the skies over Cambridge, Massachusetts. About a century ago Henrietta Swan Leavitt made a discovery that revolutionized our ability to understand the cosmos, though most people wouldn't recognize her name. Henrietta Swan Leavitt, an astronomer at the Harvard College Observatory, used the plates from Arequipa to study the variations in relative luminosity of stars in the SMC. Her research resulted in numerous advances within the field, the effects of which extended well beyond her lifetime. By studying Cepheid variables in the Small Magellanic Cloud, which are all about the same distance from Earth, Leavitt determined the absolute magnitudes of stars. Henrietta Swan Leavitt’s findings were the base for the discoveries of several future astronomers. Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868--1921) was an American astronomer of the first magnitude. During her years at ‘Harvard’ and ‘Oberlin,’ Henrietta studied a wide range of topics such as classical Greek, fine arts, philosophy, analytical geometry, and calculus. Copy. Copy. See Answer. Her father was a local congregational church minister. She worked at the Harvard College Observatory. Pickering assigned Leavitt to the study of variable stars of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, as recorded on photographic plates taken with the Bruce Astrograph of the Boyden Station of the Harvard Observatory in Arequipa, Peru. She identified 1,777 variable stars. Little is known about her private life. Henrietta Leavitt, How She Loved the ‘Clouds’. Henrietta was born on July 4, 1868, in Lancaster Massachusetts and she died from stomach cancer on December 12, 1921, at the age of 53 years old. i think what you were trying to say was "How did Henrietta Swan Leavitt die? The final part of the_____ system is the hippocampus, central to learning and memory and if it's damaged, a person may lose their ability to retain new facts and memories. She was part of an extraordinary group of women known as the Harvard Computers. She went to two colleges. …discovery made in 1908 by Henrietta Swan Leavitt at the Harvard College Observatory. Leavitt studied the magnitudes (apparent brightnesses) of a large number of variable stars, including the type known as Cepheid variables. period-luminosity (P-L) relation discovered by Henrietta Leavitt of the Harvard College Observatory. A graduate of Radcliffe College, in 1893 Leavitt started working at the Harvard College Observatory as a "computer", tasked with examining photographic plates in order to measure and catalog the brightness of stars. Best Answer. Henrietta Swan Leavitt. Which of these is a NOT a true statement about Henrietta Swan Leavitt? They have been used to test the effects of radiation and poisons, to study the human genome, to learn more about how viruses work, and played a crucial role in the development of the polio vaccine. Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921) People. 6. Which of these is a NOT a true statement about Henrietta Swan Leavitt? Biography. She was interested in astronomy from … She attended Oberlin College in Ohio between 1885 and 1888 , and graduated from Radcliffe College of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts , by then called the Society for the Collegiate Instruction for Women, with a bachelor ‘s degree in 1892 . American astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt was known for her discovery of the relationship between period and luminosity in Cepheid variables (pulsating stars that vary regularly in brightness in periods ranging from a few days to several months). Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an astronomer who worked at the Harvard College Observatory at the turn of the twentieth century. Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1868, and she changed the course of astronomy when she was just twenty-five years old. Her research resulted in numerous advances within the field, the effects of which extended well beyond her lifetime. Henrietta Leavitt trends. She was the eldest daughter of George Roswell Leavitt — a minister — and his wife, also named Henrietta Swan. A graduate of Radcliffe College, Leavitt started working at the Harvard College Observatory as a "computer" in 1893, examining photographic plates in order to measure and catalog the brightness of the stars. Leavitt's discovery provided … Currently, Henrietta Leavitt is 153 years, 7 months and 6 days old. Henrietta Swan Leavitt was one of many women "computers" who worked at Harvard University, cataloging stars around the turn of the last century. As a college student, she studied a number of subjects, falling in love with astronomy during her years at what later became Radcliffe College. Leavitt working at the Harvard College Observatory. Henrietta Swan Leavitt, who lived from 1868 to 1921, worked as one of the Harvard computers, a group of women scientists and technicians who worked … Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an American astronomer. Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a scientist who discovered that the universe is considerably larger than we thought. Her research resulted in numerous advances within the field, the effects of which extended well beyond her lifetime. Leavitt also discovered a means by which … Little is known about her private life. She discovered a means to rank stars's magnitudes using photographic plates, which became a standard in the field. She is best known for her discovery of the relation between the luminosity and the period of Cepheid variable stars. At Oberlin and Harvard, Henrietta studied a broad range of subjects, including music, Latin and Greek, geometry … Want this question answered? Answers: She was interested in astronomy from an early age and pursued a college degree in this field. Two of the siblings died as babies. Birthdate 1868 Birthplace Lancaster, MA, USA Death date 1921/12/12 Associated organizations Harvard College Observatory Fields of study Astrophysics. ∙ 2012-05-16 18:08:28. According to science writer Jeremy Bernstein, "variable stars had been of interest for years, but when she was studying those plates, I doubt Pickering thought she would make a significant discovery […] Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1864 in Lancaster Massachusetts into a large family and passed away in 1921. Study Guides . Her degree credits included Mathematics and, in her final year, Astronomy. Following an interest aroused in her senior year, she became a volunteer assistant in the Harvard Observatory in 1895. not idie. Based on her luminosity-period relation for Cepheids, Edwin Hubble was able to determine that the universe is expanding. Right before she graduated … 7. Leavitt attended Oberlin College for two years (1886–88) and then transferred to the Society for the Collegiate Instruction of Women (later Radcliffe College), from which she graduated in 1892. The discovery became important to the measurement of interstellar and intergalactic distances. A star is effectively at infinity and should be seen as a dot on the images. After nearly 30 years at the Harvard College Observatory, Leavitt and her stars, hidden by rain clouds, parted ways. She was born in Lancaster Massachusetts. Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1868, where she was one of seven children. Her parents were Henrietta Swan Kendrick and George Roswell Leavitt, a Congregationalist minister whose parish was in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an American astronomer. Henrietta Leavitt was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the daughter of a Congregational minister. As a college student, she studied a number of subjects, falling in love with astronomy during her years at what later became Radcliffe College. How Did Henrietta Leavitt Created 393 Words | 2 Pages. Answer (1 of 2): That's q good question and to understand what they were doing you need to understand photometry.