The history of astronomy counts with the passage of several scholars who have looked to understand more about the universe in which we live. Although we have some important names, such as Copernicus, who discovered that the Earth revolved around the sun, or even Newton, responsible for elaborating the Theory of Universal Gravitation, it is also necessary to highlight the work of other names that deserve greater attention. recognition.
As an example of this, we have quite a woman! We are talking about Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, the first astronomer to discover the composition of stars, born in England in 1900. Her story not only shows her achievements, but also the challenges to which she underwent throughout her career.
At age 18, looking for an opportunity, she got a scholarship to study physics, chemistry and botany at the University of Cambridge. There she became enchanted with astronomy and decided to study the Universe. But the realization soon emerged that, as a woman, she would have more opportunities for growth outside her country. In 1923, she moved to the United States.
(Source: Wikimedia)
The woman who unveiled the stars
It was there that Payne studied astronomy, at Harvard, and also met other women with the same interests, starting to teach. In the field of science, her work dealt with the anatomy of stars and revealed the discovery that hydrogen and helium were their main components. But despite being recognized for this feat, it was quite contested.
The idea that a giant and massive star like the Sun had the same chemical composition as Earth, with the presence of elements such as carbon and iron, was strongly accepted in that period. This caused the astronomer to back off on her thesis, assuming that her findings could be the result of a mistake.
Later on, Henry Norris Russell, who had been her doctoral advisor, ended up reaching the same result as Cecilia. Although he opposed her theory at first, he ended up taking credit for making the discovery about the stars.
Payne discovered that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. (Source: Unsplash)
A path full of obstacles
Shy and headstrong, Payne lived in a period when women had a much lower space within society. An example of this is that all her dedication, enthusiasm and hours of study did not even help her to obtain a degree at Cambridge, as women could not receive it. This only changed years later, in 1948.
The difficulties were not only present in the academic environment, but also in the professional one, where the astronomer and professor came to refrain from occupying more prominent positions and ended up receiving a lower salary than he deserved. It was only at age 56 that she became the first woman promoted as a full-time teacher. Payne also held the post of head of the astronomy department at Harvard.
The active life in science yielded vast material and her work helped in the development of the theory of stellar evolution . Payne married Sergei Gaposchkin, a Russian astronomer she met on a trip. A curious fact is that she was the person who helped Sergei escape Europe before the outbreak of World War II. Together, they were also co-workers in research and had three children.
In addition to scientific discoveries, Payne also wrote an autobiography:
