The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-08-17

going north and when he comes to the
particular block in which his friend
lives there is a further subdivision in
to houses with numbers to guide him.
On a star photograph the streets are
the CROSSINGS of the reseau and the
blocks are squares formed by them
The place Of star in a particular
block is all that need be measured by
the micrometer and the simple knowl-
edge of the place of the block COM
pletes the desired information.
In accordance with plan adopted
at a congress of astronomers which
met at Paris in 1887, 10 observatories
in various parts Of the world combined
together to make series of photo
graphs covering the entire sky. No
fewer than 100000 stars find
quired and most of these have now
been finished. The further measure
ment of the pictures and the drawing
up of vast printed star catalogue are
also we'll under way, and altogether no
fewer than 100000 stars will find a
place in this our latest directory OF tho
heavens. There is certainly no lack of
material for women computers!
Prof. Edward C. Pickering of the
Harvard observatory, Cambridge, is
carrying on Independent work Of the
same kind in connection with the Are
quipa observatory. About 1900 photo
graphs are taken of the southern
heavens every year. They are of two
S1nds-spectrum and chart. The lat
ter contain on their surface of eight
by ten inches thousands of star points,
the spectrum plates showing the
spectrum of each star Such a plate
must 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 en-
ployed 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 of
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 Nj. C.
Stevens, all of whom have succeeded
in discovering new stars on their own
account
Among those engaged in this kind of
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 %, 1893, Miss Klumpke sus-
tanned 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
worthy of obtaining the degree of doc
tor"
San Francisco, CAL, also boasts an
other woman astronomer, namely,
Miss Rose O'Hallaran, who for the
past 20 years has quietly pursued her
work in San Francisco. She devotes
her energies to a study Of the peculiar
tiles of sun spots and variable stars,
| which are the most interesting objects
in the world to this busy little woman
astronomer, while her numerous OBJ
servations of eclipses, meteors, vari-
| able 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
Americas pioneer astronomer. She
summarized her own character in the
words; Il was not born with much
| genius but with great pefslste1cy:~
When IS years old she was appointed
librarian of the Nantucket Athenaeum
which position she held for 20 years.
The roof of the building was her OBJ
seryatory, and while scanning the
! heavens one night from this point OF
| view she discovered comet. A def
mite orbit for this comet was deter
mined by Miss Marguerite Palmer,
who has published several memoirs in
the transactions of the Yale Observ-
atory." The king of Denmark present
ed Maria Mitchell with gold medal
as reward for her discovery of the
comet.
In 1855 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 teacher of ex-
ceptional 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
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