Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
#9,041
Most Influential Person Across History
British-born American astronomer
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's AcademicInfluence.com Rankings
Download Badge
Physics
Why Is Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Influential?
(Suggest an Edit or Addition)According to Wikipedia, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a British-born American astronomer and astrophysicist who proposed in her 1925 doctoral thesis that stars were composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Her groundbreaking conclusion was initially rejected because it contradicted the scientific wisdom of the time, which held that there were no significant elemental differences between the Sun and Earth. Independent observations eventually proved she was correct. Her work on the nature of variable stars was foundational to modern astrophysics.
Other Resources About Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
What Schools Are Affiliated With Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin?
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin is affiliated with the following schools: