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Henrietta Swan Leavitt

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Birth	:	4 Jul 1868 Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
Death	:	12 Dec 1921 Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
Burial	:	Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.3675003, -71.1399994
Plot	:	Prospect Ave., Lots 1223-1224
Inscription	:	Roswell Henry Leavitt Born Oct 4, 1871 Died Jan 8, 1873 Mira Fay Leavitt Born Feb 20, 1878 Died Dec 1, 1880 Henrietta Swan Leavitt Born July 4, 1868 Died Dec 12, 1921 Children of George R and Hen
Description	:	Henrietta Leavitt was a world class Astronomer who was a member of the faculty at Harvard University. She is responsible for the theroys of modern day Algebra as we know it today.∼Information provided by Julie (Member#47423887)- thank you! Henrietta Leavitt 1868 - 1921 Henrietta Leavitt was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the daughter of a Congregational minister. She attended Oberlin College and the Society for Collegiate Instruction of Women (later Radcliffe College). As a senior in 1892, Leavitt discovered astronomy. After graduation she took another course in it, but then spent several years at home when she suffered a serious illness that... Read More	Henrietta Leavitt was a world class Astronomer who was a member of the faculty at Harvard University. She is responsible for the theroys of modern day Algebra as we know it today.∼Information provided by Julie (Member#47423887)- thank you! Henrietta Leavitt 1868 - 1921 Henrietta Leavitt was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the daughter of a Congregational minister. She attended Oberlin College and the Society for Collegiate Instruction of Women (later Radcliffe College). As a senior in 1892, Leavitt discovered astronomy. After graduation she took another course in it, but then spent several years at home when she suffered a serious illness that left her severely deaf. She hadn't forgotten about astronomy, though. She volunteered at the Harvard College Observatory in 1895. Seven years later she was appointed to the permanent staff (at a salary of 30 cents an hour) by director Charles Pickering. She got little chance to do theoretical work, but did become head of the photographic photometry department. This group studied photo images of stars to determine their magnitude. During her career, Leavitt discovered more than 2,400 variable stars, about half of the known total in her day. These stars change from bright to dim and back fairly regularly. Leavitt's work with variable stars led to her most important contribution to the field: the cepheid variable period-luminosity relationship. By intense observation of a certain class of variable star, the cepheids, Leavitt discovered a direct correlation between the time it took a star to go from bright to dim to how bright it actually was. Knowing this relationship helped other astronomers, such as Edwin Hubble, to make their own groundbreaking discoveries. Leavitt also developed a standard of photographic measurements that was accepted by the International Committee on Photographic Magnitudes in 1913, and called the Harvard Standard. To do this she used 299 plates from 13 telescopes and used logarithmic equations to order stars over 17 magnitudes of brightness. She continued refining and enlarging upon this work throughout her life. Leavitt was not allowed to pursue her own topics of study, but researched what the head of the observatory assigned. Because of the prejudices of the day, she didn't have the opportunity to use her intellect to the fullest, but a colleague remembered her as "possessing the best mind at the Observatory," and a modern astronomer calls her "the most brilliant woman at Harvard." She worked at the Harvard College Observatory until her death from cancer in 1921. pbs.org

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Henrietta Swan Leavitt's memorial?
Henrietta Swan Leavitt's memorial is located at: Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA.
When did Henrietta Swan Leavitt death?
Henrietta Swan Leavitt death on 12 Dec 1921 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Henrietta Swan Leavitt's memorial?
Latitude: 42.3675003
Longitude: -71.1399994

Family Members:

Parent

George Roswell Leavitt

(1838 - 1911)

Henrietta Swan Kendrick Leavitt

(1844 - 1922)

Siblings

Mira Fay Leavitt

(1878 - 1880)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Cambridge Cemetery
Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3675003, -71.1399994

2. Mount Auburn Cemetery
Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3731800, -71.1453100

3. Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery
Watertown, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3713684, -71.1499100

4. Old Burying Place
Watertown, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3719270, -71.1560390

5. University Lutheran Memorial Garden
Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3719200, -71.1200700

6. Old Burying Ground
Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3752930, -71.1196840

7. Market Street Burying Ground
Brighton, Suffolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3503200, -71.1525800

8. Belmont Cemetery
Belmont, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3821411, -71.1578369

9. Saint Gabriel Monastery Cemetery
Brighton, Suffolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3467150, -71.1466510

10. North Cambridge Catholic Cemetery
Cambridge, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3933220, -71.1339417

11. Common Street Cemetery
Watertown, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3684540, -71.1779938

12. Elm Street British Soldier Burial Site
Somerville, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3910900, -71.1185300

13. Cardinal O'Connell Gravesite
Brighton, Suffolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3423600, -71.1614300

14. Milk Row Cemetery
Somerville, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3816300, -71.1020100

15. Evergreen Cemetery
Brighton, Suffolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3399100, -71.1610600

16. Christ's Church
Brookline, Norfolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3421500, -71.1104200

17. Veterans Cemetery
Somerville, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4064700, -71.1318300

18. Saint Pauls Cemetery
Arlington, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4073143, -71.1354218

19. Walnut Street Cemetery
Brookline, Norfolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3275795, -71.1284103

20. Warren Anatomical Museum
Boston, Suffolk County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3351300, -71.1036100

21. Saint Patricks Cemetery
Watertown, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3815460, -71.1937027

22. Prince Hall Cemetery
Arlington, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.4102100, -71.1354300

23. Church of the Redeemer Memorial Garden
Chestnut Hill, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3298180, -71.1681010

24. Highland Meadow Cemetery
Belmont, Middlesex County, USA
Coordinate: 42.3989334, -71.1854401