Scientists had been right about many things, but wrong about what the sun and other stars are made of until a 25-year old Doctorate student wrote a brilliant thesis proving that the stars in our universe are made of helium and hydrogen.

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin made this discovery. however, a student then, she was snatched credit for one of the greatest astronomical discoveries.

More info: www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk

Writing about Cecilia, Jeremy Knowles dean of the Harvard University of Arts and Sciences said, “Since her death in 1979, the woman who discovered what the universe is made of has not so much as received a memorial plaque. Her newspaper obituaries do not mention her greatest discovery.”

when it comes to the composition of our universe, the textbooks simply say that the most prevalent element in the universe is hydrogen. And no one ever wonders how we know. … after the award of her doctorate, she lectured in the astronomy department, but her lectures were not listed in the course catalog. She directed graduate research without status; she had no research leave, and her small salary was categorized by the department under ‘equipment.’ And yet she survived and flourished”

Born in 1900, Cecilia was raised in Wendover, England. From a young age, she aspired to be a scientist and nurtured her dreams ferociously. In 1919, she was awarded a scholarship for Natural Sciences at Newnham College of Cambridge University.

She completed her degree but was not awarded a degree because at the time Cambridge was not awarded degrees to women.

Realizing that the UK was not offering favorable grounds for career women, Cecilia decided to move to the United States after being introduced to the director of the Harvard College Observatory.

Her former lecturer wrote her a reference note which said; “She has attained a wide knowledge of physical science including astronomy, and possesses the valuable qualities of energy and enthusiasm in her work … I believe that she is the type of person who, given the opportunity, would devote her whole life to astronomy and she would not want to run away after a few years’ training to get married.”

In 1923 she was enrolled as a Research Fellow at Harvard University in Cambridge. Two years later she earned a doctorate at Radcliffe college.

Her detailed doctorate thesis argued that stars are mainly composed of helium and hydrogen was rejected by fellow astronomers. Later on, Henry Russell published her discovery in 1930 claiming it as his. Cecilia’s 200-page long research was thrown out.

Later on, astronomers began to recognize her work. Otto Struve described her original thesis as “the most brilliant Ph.D. thesis ever in astronomy.

Sadly, Cecilia had been dissuaded from publishing other discoveries she made. Some of her discoveries included the stark effect in the spectra of the hottest stars and discoveries on Interstellar absorption; however, these discoveries were credited to other scientists.

Cecilia was named Astronomer in 1938 and held the title until 1956 when she became the first female professor in Harvard. She also became the first woman to serve as a department chair. Cecilia, paved way for women whose dream careers were in science. 

Despite the gender discrimination she faced, Cecilia persisted and paved the way for other women to pursue a career in science. Today she is known as the greatest female astronomer in the history.