The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-07-18


particular block In which his friend
lives there is further subdivision in
to houses with numbers to guide him.
On star photograph the streets are
the crosslines 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
ut congress of astronomers which
met at Paris in 1887, rs observatories
In various parts OF the world combined
together to make a series of photo
graphs covering the entire sky. No
fewer than 100000 stars find a
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 well under way, and altogether no
fewer than 2,000,000 stars will find a
place In this our latest directory OF the
heavens. There is certainly no lack of
material for women computers!
Prof. Edward c. Pickering of the
Harvard observatory. Cambridge, 10
carrying on Independent work OF the
same kind in connection with the Are
quipa observatory. About 1000 photo
graphs are taken of the southern
kinds 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 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 q
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.. ID. 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
research Miss Dorothea
klumpke has shown great ability.
Born In San Francisco, she left there
in her youth and became student at
the Observatory of Paris in 1887. On
December 23, 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 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 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 |
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
her own character in the
words: Il was not born with much
genius but with great PERSISTENCE"
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 oh.
ervatory, 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
he Transactions of the Yale Observ.
tory The king of Denmark present.
ID Maria Mitchell with a gold medal
IS a reward for her discovery of the
omet.
In 1865 she accepted the professor.
hip of astronomy at Vassar college
ofding the position until she was
to resign, being enfeebled
" old age She was teacher OF ex.
optional ability and when she dieo
n 1889 she was mourned by the many
'assar pupils she had imbued with
er own love and enthusiasm for tn,