The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-01-03

TARS ALLURE THEN.
Women who Spend Most OF Their
-. Time Gazing Through the .E
Telescope. n:.<&z@>
The American woman has become a de-
cided factor in the study Of astronomy
This fact is demonstrated by the number
Of members Of the gentler sex engaged in
the 4. astronomical departments of the
great American universities and en-
ployed as mathematicians at the Nau-.
teal Almanac Office in this city.
Considerable interest in this subject
was aroused by the announcement a few
days ago that Miss Anna .Winlock of the
Harvard observatory staff, had collabo-
rated with Simon Newcomb in comput-
ing the orbit Of newly found asteroid.
/ Among the first devotees Of stellar sci
ence after the revival Of civilization in
Sophia Brahe Q556-1643), Maria Cunitz
(161O-16G4), and Elizabeth, second wife
Of Hevelius. OF the first very little is
known beyond the circumstance that she
was sister of the great astronomer,
Tycho- Brahe. Cunitz, although she
rived some inspiration from him, really
exhibited much original mathematical tai
ent. She computed tables, which were
simpfifcation Of kepler's, but inasmuch
as she made no use of logarithms her
task was more difficult than it would
have been otherwise. Hevelius, a
wealthy amateur, residing in Silesia, un-
dertook a series of observations for
new star catalogue. His wife assisted
him and published some Of his results
ton 1.-THE Shield of Sobieski," after Il
King Of Poland.
Pioneer Star Gazers.
Three more modern. if not more con-
spicuous, figures in. the realm Of astron-
schel and Maria Mitchell. Mary Somer-
vile, whose maiden name was Fairfax,
| and who was related to George Wash
| ington's mother. was born in Scotland
near the close OF the year 1850. She
was almost as versatile as Hypatia: Her
adaptation Of La Places Celestial Ne
! chanics' to the comprehension Of large
number of students. 1t was from, the
great Frenchman she received the COM
| who ever understood him. John Couch
! Adams. one of the discoveries of the
planet Neptune, says that he derived the
hint which led to his computations from
reading Mary Somerville's Connection
of the Physical Sciences
Caroline and Her Comets.
Caroline Herschel Q75O-1S48) discov-
cred no less than seven comets and pub
nebulae. Maria Mitchell was native Of
Nantucket, and while yet young wom-
| an became librarian of the local Athe-
naeum, With small telescope, which
had belonged to her father, She scrutin-
lied the skies for years. In 1916 she
discovered comet. That event led to
engn as we'll as American sources The
King of Denmark sent her medal. Her
services as a cOmputer were sought at
the Nautical Almanac office in Wash
ington, and when she went abroad she
received attention from Mary Somerville
for intellectual endowments. In 1865 she
became professor Of astronomy in 'Vassar
college, post which she occupied until
Eage rendered resignation necessary. She
died in 1889.
Noted English women.
The British Astronomical association
is made up largely of amateurs, and its
membership now includes a number Of
women. The observations made by some
! ~ SAC AdelCA OASCA UpPAOdCA Ill Vd1uV
those Of professional astronomers. One
OF, the best photographs Of the total
eclipse Of the sun taken in India two or
three years ago was secured by Mrs. E.
Walter Maunder, an amateur. The most
prominent women in the ranks of Eng
Clarke. The former is the wife Of the
venerable spectroscopist, Sir William
Higgins, and in all published reports Of
Lady Higgins. Miss Clarke, native
Of Ireland, and now nearly 60 years old.
was engaged in observational work at
the Cape Of Good Hope observatory in
1883. But she is chiefly known as
writer, and charming writer, too. She
mas wonderful faculty Of digesting the
somewhat abstruse and technical reports
OF original investigators and putting their
pith in popular form.
At Work in America.
A considerable number Of American
women have of late been led into OBJ
servational and mathematical pursuits in
connection with astronomy. One Of
them, Dorothea Klumpke, has been lent
She was born in California, and has two
sisters, one of whom exceis IN art, and
the other in the practice Of medicine.
Miss Klumpke has been connected with
the observatory Of Paris in one capacity
VI anOtAer SINCE 1881. Ihe thesis which
won her a decorate was on the rings of
Saturn. She is now at the head of a
bureau for measuring star plates for the
new international chart of the heavens.
and has FIVE assistants Of her own sex.
The only woman now on the Pacific
coast who is conspicuous for astronomi-
cal work is Rose O'Halloran, who came
supports herself by teaching. but has a
passion for stellar science. Reports of
her observations often appear in astro-
nomical magazines.
Astronomical Photographs.
One Of the most important branches Of
the work OF the Harvard observatory is
Photographic, and this in turn subdivides
itself into the registration Of the stars
proper and OF their spectra. The latter
facilitates the classification Of the stars
according to, their probable composition