Essay: Katherine Dagley Essay:
ESSAY: KATHERINE DAGLEY TO INFINITY AND BEYOND : A HISTORY OF NOTABLE WOMEN IN ASTRONOMY Most people know the names associated with astrophysical and astronomical discoveries such as Hubble and Herschel, but few know that most of the work and calculations behind these men’s discoveries were done by women. In a time where women had few rights, opportunities, or abilities to hold important jobs, a group of hidden figures worked for under seven dollars an hour analyzing charts, logging calculations, and discovering new scientific methods every day. This all took place at Harvard College Observatory, where for years, women “calculators,” as they were called, were making groundbreaking observations every day. They logged their data of over 500,000 stellar observations in thousands of notebooks, which have been forgotten over the years. In an attempt to bring back both the observations and the legacies of these forgotten women astronomers, Harvard created Project PHaEDRA (Preserving Harvard’s Early Data and Research in Astronomy) to digitize this collection of data through volunteer transcription and analysis. Their goal is to recognize significant contributions to astronomy regardless of gender and to create a more diverse and fuller understanding of who contributed to astrophysics (Margolis). Through partnership with this organization and the Smithsonian Institute, volunteers serve by revitalizing forgotten legacies of important women and by ensuring that future generations have free access to this invaluable data. The Harvard Observatory has a long and rich history since its founding, with some of the most important discoveries there done by women. The institute began hiring women in 1875, although some women, like Eliza Quincy, began volunteering their time much earlier than that. The earliest women to officially work at the observatory were RT Rogers, RG Saunders, and Anna Winlock, who assisted William Rogers in his study of time zones (Wolbach Library). The main task for these scientists was to analyze glass plate photographs of star alignments, discovering, cataloging, and researching hundreds of thousands of celestial beings. The women tended to work in pairs of observers and recorders, using their studies in astronomy and astrophysics to help them classify and observe these stars. Despite their extensive studies and knowledge in astronomy, they weren’t recognized as “astronomers,” instead assigned the title of human “computers.” Also, even though they had completed all of the necessary coursework to earn degrees in astronomy, the Harvard College Observatory still denied them a degree or title. Despite these challenges, however, many of the women went on to earn PhDs in Astronomy. Their jobs were tiring, highly skilled, and required long hours, yet these women earned only 40% of what men doing similar jobs made, making only 25 cents (approximately 6.38 in modern dollars) for every grueling hour (Margolis). They justified this unequal pay by deskilling women’s jobs, despite the fact that most of the intricate calculations were made by women. Thanks to the work, persistence, and organization of a few extremely smart women, many of astronomy’s most famous calculations, laws, and discoveries happened within the walls of the Harvard College Observatory. The Harvard College Observatory is credited with hiring some of the most notable names in astronomy, such as Willamina Fleming. From working as a chambermaid to
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