The modest maid who beat famous astronomers (7 photos)

On that day in 1880, the head of the Harvard Observatory was very unhappy with the poor performance of his subordinates. I was so dissatisfied that in my heart I quit, saying that my maid would have done a better job compared to you, ineffective slackers. The professor's phrase turned out to be prophetic.





In the spring of 1857, in the ordinary town of Dundee in Scotland, an ordinary girl was born, who was named Williamina Paton Stevens. She completed her studies at school and, while waiting for a suitable match, remained there to teach.



Harvard Observatory

After marriage, she and her husband James moved to the States. But Mr. Fleming turned out to be a flighty man and a year later disappeared in an unknown direction, leaving his wife confused and pregnant.





Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming

There was no choice. To survive, the teacher went to work as a maid in the house of a serious and respected man - Professor Edward Pickering. He appreciated the intelligence and diligence of the au pair and offered the woman a place in the observatory, which he headed.



Professor Edward Charles Pickering

Villamina did an excellent job as a secretary, and the professor began to slowly give her more important tasks. Which the woman coped with more than well.

In 1881, the boss trained his assistant to analyze stellar spectra. And a few years later he put him in charge of the group involved in calculating mathematical classifications and editing the observatory’s publications.



Villamina

The next step was to improve the classification of stars. Villamina became so interested that she not only cataloged existing objects, but also discovered new ones. During her work at the Harvard Observatory, she discovered 59 nebulae and more than 300 stars.



The Horsehead Nebula is located in the constellation Orion

In 1888, a woman discovered a strikingly beautiful nebula in the constellation Orion, which they named the Horsehead Nebula. A few years later, Fleming became the first American woman to be elected a member of the Royal Astronomical Society.



Pickering's Harem

The phenomenal efficiency, diligence and diligence of the former maid impressed the head so much that the professor opened a special unit at the observatory, consisting exclusively of representatives of the fairer sex. Subordinates immediately gave it a sarcastic name - Pickering's harem. But neither Fleming herself nor her colleagues cared about the whispers: the girls simply worked enthusiastically, and the team in skirts gave birth to a whole galaxy of talented female astronomers.