Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin discovered that stars are mostly made of hydrogen
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a pioneering astronomer who discovered hydrogen and helium's abundance in stars, overcoming gender discrimination and skepticism to become a professor in 1956, influencing modern astrophysics.
Read original article
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a pioneering astronomer whose groundbreaking work in the early 20th century transformed our understanding of stellar composition. Initially studying botany at Newnham College, Cambridge, she shifted her focus to physics and astronomy after being inspired by Sir Arthur Eddington's lecture on the solar eclipse. Despite facing significant gender-based challenges in a male-dominated field, she excelled academically and secured a position at Harvard Observatory in 1923. There, she analyzed stellar light spectra, leading to her discovery that hydrogen and helium were far more abundant in stars than previously believed. This finding contradicted the prevailing theories of the time, forcing her to downplay her results to gain acceptance for her thesis. Although her work was initially met with skepticism, it eventually gained recognition as independent observations confirmed her conclusions. Despite her contributions, Payne-Gaposchkin faced ongoing discrimination, receiving limited recognition and low pay throughout her career until she was finally appointed a professor in 1956. Her legacy is marked by her resilience and significant contributions to astrophysics, paving the way for future generations of scientists.
- Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin revolutionized the understanding of stellar composition by discovering the abundance of hydrogen and helium in stars.
- She faced significant gender discrimination in her academic career, often being underpaid and overlooked for promotions.
- Her groundbreaking thesis was initially met with skepticism, requiring her to describe her findings as "spurious" to gain acceptance.
- Despite challenges, she built a successful career and was eventually recognized as a professor in 1956.
- Her work laid the foundation for modern astrophysics and inspired future generations of scientists.
Related
Katharine Way, John Wheeler, and the Dawn of Nuclear Fission
Katharine Way, supervised by John A. Wheeler, contributed to early nuclear fission exploration. Wheeler's reflections on her work and personal tragedies influenced his scientific approach, evident in ongoing research.
Physics pioneer Rosemary Fowler, 98, honoured 75 years after discovery
A 98-year-old physicist, Rosemary Fowler, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol for her groundbreaking discovery of the Kaon particle in 1948. Her work significantly impacted particle physics.
Physicist, 98, honoured with doctorate 75 years after groundbreaking discovery
Physicist Rosemary Fowler, aged 98, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol for her 1948 discovery of the kaon particle. Her work under Cecil Powell revolutionized particle physics.
Gladys West: The Hidden Figure Behind GPS
Gladys West, a mathematician, significantly contributed to GPS development during her 42-year career, receiving accolades for her work in geodesy and satellite data processing, inspiring future generations in STEM.
The heiress at Harvard who helped revolutionize murder investigations
Frances Glessner Lee, a New Hampshire heiress, founded Harvard's first legal medicine department, revolutionizing forensic science and advocating for thorough investigations to ensure justice for all crime victims.
- Several commenters highlight the historical significance of her discoveries, comparing her impact to other notable women in astronomy.
- There is mention of a new play based on her life, indicating ongoing interest in her story.
- Some comments delve into scientific discussions about stellar composition and theories related to the sun.
- Links to additional resources, including Wikipedia articles and scientific papers, are shared for further reading.
- One commenter notes a geographical tribute to her with a volcanic crater on Venus named after her.
11 commentshttps://sci-hub.se/10.1126/science.52.1341.233
The immediate historical motivation wasn't the discovery of hydrogen in the solar atmosphere, but the discovery, on Earth, that the hydrogen atom is anomalously heavy (~1% mass excess per nucleon).
There is the no iron core/fractional percentage gang which bases their theory on the observed sun, but this conflicts with the common cloud theory of solar system origin, which is basically there was enough iron in the proto cloud to provide iron cores for most of the inner planets and you are telling that you think that most of this iron did not end up in the middle of the sun.
then at the far end of the spectrum is the crackpot "the solar system is a second generation(minimum) system, some star must have exploded to form the metals we see, the core of the sun is probably the stellar remnant of the first generation system and is mostly iron"
But really I wonder, all our observations of the sun are of the upper atmosphere, and more importantly the light emitted by the upper atmosphere, if earth was observed the same way you would conclude it was mainly made of nitrogen.
Don't blink.
Also at issue is the large amount of the chemical element hydrogen which makes up the sun, which is a significant fire hazard, though some in the scientific community downplay its risk.
The issue is expected to be especially significant in this election year.
Left-wing politicians in Congress are calling for more sun research funding to provide greater clarity on the issues facing voters, though several of their more extreme members have already introduced competing bills to the House floor with proposals to reduce solar intensity, increase shielding around at-risk neighborhoods, or mandate warning labels in key locations.
Conservatives members of Congress deny that the sun is a significant source of risk, or in the event that it is an issue, that Congress should enact legislation to address the problem. "US citizens are aware of the risks, and should be able to exercise their god-given rights to do as they please in the sun."
On the far right end of the spectrum the senator from South Florida has introduced legislation to reclassify hydrogen as helium, an inert gas that poses no burn risk, and has industrial and commercial uses that would be a boon to US industry.
The senator was quoted as saying, "We've got to prevent foreign helium from undercutting the US market, and so my bill would radically increase the supply of this critical element used in birthday balloons while protecting US jobs from unfair competition." The senator had no comment about reports of contributions to his campaign from the American Society for the Suppression of Helium, Oxygen, and Lithium in Energy imports.
/s
Related
Katharine Way, John Wheeler, and the Dawn of Nuclear Fission
Katharine Way, supervised by John A. Wheeler, contributed to early nuclear fission exploration. Wheeler's reflections on her work and personal tragedies influenced his scientific approach, evident in ongoing research.
Physics pioneer Rosemary Fowler, 98, honoured 75 years after discovery
A 98-year-old physicist, Rosemary Fowler, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol for her groundbreaking discovery of the Kaon particle in 1948. Her work significantly impacted particle physics.
Physicist, 98, honoured with doctorate 75 years after groundbreaking discovery
Physicist Rosemary Fowler, aged 98, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol for her 1948 discovery of the kaon particle. Her work under Cecil Powell revolutionized particle physics.
Gladys West: The Hidden Figure Behind GPS
Gladys West, a mathematician, significantly contributed to GPS development during her 42-year career, receiving accolades for her work in geodesy and satellite data processing, inspiring future generations in STEM.
The heiress at Harvard who helped revolutionize murder investigations
Frances Glessner Lee, a New Hampshire heiress, founded Harvard's first legal medicine department, revolutionizing forensic science and advocating for thorough investigations to ensure justice for all crime victims.