The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-15

by ten inches thousands of star points, the spectrum plates showing the spectrum of each star. Such a plate snust be examined very carefully, If by any chance new stars are to be found, and the work is extremely tedious.
 All the photographs sent to Harvard observatory are examined by Mrs. Fleming, under whose supervision number of women are constantly ern- pIoyed in assisting with this work Mrs. Margaret Patton Fleming was born in Scotland in 1857. In 1879 she came to the United States and secured employment at Harvard observatory as computer. She is now in charge Of the department for examination or the thousands of photographic plates taken with the Draper telescope. In this pursuit Mrs Fleming has discov- cred large number of variable stars and confirmed the discovery of several new stars. She has been ably assisted in her work by Misses A. c. Maury, L. D. Wells, E. F. Leland and M. c. Stevens. all of whom have succeeded In discovering new stars on their own account.
 Among those engaged in this kind or photographic research Miss Dorothea Klumpke has shown great ability. Born in San Francisco. she left there in her youth and became a student at the Observatory. of Paris in 1887. On December 23, 1893, Miss Klumpke sus- tained her doctorate thesis before Darboux, Tisserand and Andoyer. At the conclusion of the examination Darboux remarked: Your thesis Is the first which a woman has presented and successfully maintained before our faculty to obtain the degree of doctor of mathematical sciences. You worthily open the way and the faculty votes unanimously to declare you worty of obtaining the degree of doc tor"
 pr. Kiumpke is now at the head of the bureau, for the measurement the plates of the astro-photographic catalogue at the Paris observatory. She is assisted by the Misses Scott, Marquette. Coniel. Dauphin and Lamp don.
 San Francisco, Cal. also boasts an- other woman astronomer. namely. Miss Rose OHallaran, who for the past twenty years has quietly pursued her work in San Francisco. She de- votes her energies to study of the pe- culiarities of sun spots and variable stars, which are the most interesting woman astronomer, while her nunaer- nus observations of eclipses. meteors, variable stars. etc. frequently appear in scientific periodicals.
 Maria Mitchell is another woman astronomer of whom this country is justly proud. and she may be termed America's pioneer astronomer. She summarized her own character in the words: T was not born with much genius but with great persistency." When eighteen years old she was ap- pointed librarian of the Nantucket Anthenaeum which position she held for twenty years. The roof of the building was her observatory, and while scanning the heavens one night from this point of view she discovered a comet A definite orbit for this com ct was determined by Miss Margurits Palmer, who has published several memoirs in the Transactions of the Yale Observatory" The king of Dem mark presented Maria Mitchell with a gold medal as a reward for her discov- cry of the comet
 In 1865 she accepted the professor ship of astronomy at Vassar college, holding the position until she was compelled to resign, being enfeebled by old age. She was a teacher of ex- ceptiohal ability and when she died in 1889 she was mourned by the many Vassar pupils she had imbued with her own love and enthusiasm for the noble science of the heavens. Prof Mary Watson Whitney is her able successor and is assisted in her work by Caroline Furness. Prof. Whitney's speciality consists in observations of asteriods. involving much arduous work, and she also made several fine drawings of the surface markings of planets.
 Among those engaged in astronomi- cal teaching Helen Hayes is instructor of mathematics at Wellesley college, Mary Emma Byrd is director of the observatory at Smith college, North ampton, Mass, and has written text book entitled Laboratory Works" and Susan J. Cunningham is director or the observatory at Swarthmore coi- lege, Pennsylvania. She has been en-