The glass universe

Examines the contributions and lives of the women who were hired by Harvard College Observatory in the late 1800s to calculate observations made via telescope each night. Highlights such astrological pioneers as Williamina Fleming, a Scottish maid who identified three hundred variable stars, and Dr. Cecilia Helena Payne, the first female to be hired in 1956 as a professor of astronomy at Harvard. Includes a glossary, a chronology, and color photographs.