Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-17
This Woman Sees Stars.

To have discovered more stars than
any other person in the history of the
world is worthy distinction in the
arals OF astronomy. That this record
has been achieved by woman makes
it the more unusual, remarks Annie
y. S. Beard in the November World
Today. Mrs. Fleming herself, howev-
er, does not care to have emphasis
laid on this fact. To her the addi-
ton to scientific knowledge is the
sole point of interest. On Aug. 81
last she added still another to her
long list of discoveries, that of a
nova in the constellation Aquila.
Williamina Patton Fleming is a
Scotch woman who has inherited
scientificfi tendencies from her faith
er, Robert Stevens, who was early in
terested in the application of the dag
uerreotype process in photography.
Eorn in Dundee, May Is, 1857, she re-
ceived her education in her native
town, and later was a teacher there
for a period of five years. In 1877
she married James Orr Fleming, like
wise of Dundee, and in 1879 came to
the United States. She obtained a
pOsitiOnin Harvard observatory as a
computer, and speedily demonstrated
her ability to undertake more respon-
sible and arduous work.
AS curator of the astronomical pho
tographsof the observatory, to which
Office she was appointed in 1898, Mrs.
Fleming has examined and marked the
quality of the plates in the Harvard
collection, exceeding 100000 in num-
Der. She has also prepared the ORA
OF 10 nf
spectrum of 1O,498 stars.
The results occupy two quarto vol
umes, 26 and 81, of the Harvard an
nails. By the painstaking, careful and
minute study thus given to the pho
tographic impressions of the stellar
spaces, she has developed an unusual
facility in discovering new stars, and
has won the honor of being called by
foreign astronomical authorities, "a
brilliant discoverer." She has also
an occupying an official position at
Harvard.
In examining the spectra of more
than million stars she has discover
e.! eight new stars, only three such
stars having been found by other as
tronomers during the same period Of
I!lic vi Tic dIO CLASS VI ukIu ~ UO
stars she has found "a, only Is hav-
ing been found by other astronomers
throughoutthe world. Incidentally she
has found many other objects of in
terest, including 200 new variables.
Much time has been devoted to meas
urements of the position and bright
ness of these Objects
Aside from the direct astronomical
research accomplished by Mrs. Flem-
ing, vast amount of work has been
done by her in aiding in the prepare
ton and editing of about 20 quarto
volumes of the Harvard Annals" and
other publications of the observatory.
She also assists in the official CORE
spondenceand other executive work of
the institution, including the superin-
tendence of corps of about Is wom-
en- assistants. She is a contributor to
various astronomical journals, her
writings appearing under the sigma
ture of IN. Fleming" in the Astro-
nomiche Nachrichten and other for.
eign publications.
In her enthusiasm for her work,
Mrs. Fleming has had no thought or
desire to win honor or distinction for
herself. Her ambition has been sole
lyfor the advancement of science. It
is all the more interesting to find that
fame has nevertheless come to her.