Henrietta

Henrietta Swan Leavitt

Henrietta
#17,357
Most Influential Person Across History

American astronomer and human calculator

Henrietta Swan Leavitt's Academic­Influence.com Rankings

Henrietta Swan Leavitt
Physics
#886
Historical Rank
Astronomy
#105
Historical Rank
physics Degrees
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  • Physics

Why Is Henrietta Swan Leavitt Influential?

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According to Wikipedia, Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an American astronomer. Her discovery of how to effectively measure vast distances to remote galaxies led to a shift in the understanding of the nature of the universe. A graduate of Radcliffe College, she worked at the Harvard College Observatory as a human computer, tasked with measuring photographic plates to catalog the positions and brightness of stars. This work led her to discover the relation between the luminosity and the period of Cepheid variables. Leavitt's discovery provided astronomers with the first standard candle with which to measure the distance to other galaxies.

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Henrietta Swan Leavitt's Published Works

Number of citations in a given year to any of this author's works
Total number of citations to an author for the works they published in a given year. This highlights publication of the most important work(s) by the author
1910012.52537.55062.57587.5100112.5125137.5150

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What Schools Are Affiliated With Henrietta Swan Leavitt?

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