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July 2007
theWoman Astronomer, Where Woman Are The Stars!
Reaching 99,972 visitors in the past 12
months!
Our mission is to promote astronomy as a hobby and science, to encourage women and girls interested
in astronomy, and to be a resource to the astronomy community and the public at large.
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To subscribe, go to: /newsletter.htm
To unsubscribe, go to the end of this newsletter for instructions.
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In This Issue:
1.) Publisher's Desk For July 2007
2.) Musings: Ten Years and Counting...
3.) Women
Astronomers: Dorrit Hoffleit (1907-2007)
4.) Letters To The Editor: Will be updated next issue.
5.) Feature Article:
Williamina Paton Fleming: From Housekeeper to Astronomer, by Debra L. Davis
6.) Ask Urania: Coming soon...
7.) Cosmic
Campus: Pluto’s Demotion, by Shelby Cook
8.) Links
9.) Woman Astronomer Wanted
For easier clicking, read this
issue online at: /newsletter0707.htm
What's New!
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Miss Leavitt‘s Stars: The Untold Story of
the Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe
By George Johnson, “an award-winning New York Times science
writer.” This is a wonderful little book and is highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn more about women’s contributions
to astronomy. Because of her work, Ejnar Hertzsprung was able to plot the distance of stars; Harlow Shapley measured the size
of the Milky Way; and Edwin Hubble ascertained the age of the Universe
This book is available at Amazon.com. Support theWoman Astronomer by clicking through to Amazaon.com from our site: /amazon_com.htm
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1. Publisher's Desk
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Would you like to do some astronomy
without years of schooling? You can assist astronomers by identifying and classifying galaxies online, a “project which
harnesses the power of the internet - and your brain - to classify a million galaxies. By taking part, you'll not only be
contributing to scientific research, but you'll view parts of the Universe that literally no-one has ever seen before and get
a sense of the glorious diversity of galaxies that pepper the sky.”
To volunteer for this important research, go to: http://www.galaxyzoo.org/
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2. Musings
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Ten Years and Counting...
Ten years ago during the
Astronomical Society's 50th Anniversary convention at Copper Mountain, Colorado, the print edition of theWoman Astronomer
debuted. The memory of it is so vivid. Still with me is the gentle breeze whispering through aspen trees, the fresh mountain
air, the colorful splash of wild flowers, and my feelings of excitement, anxiety, and of hope. I never imagined where theWoman
Astronomer would be today.
Read the rest of my musing here: /FTEMusings.htm
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3. Women Astronomers
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Dorritt Hoffleit (1907-2007). In April
2007, astronomy lost one of its brightest stars with the passing of Dorrit Hoffleit. She was 100. I’ve provided links to a few
web sites with this sad news, some from her friends and colleagues.
Read more about the life of this incredible woman here: /dhoffleit.htm
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4. Letters to the Editor
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I will be updating this page in the next issue...
Read
previous Letters to the Editor here: /FTETotheEditor.htm
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5. Feature Article
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Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming: From Housekeeper to
Astronomer
1857-1911
“While we cannot maintain that in everything woman is man’s equal, yet in many things her patience, perseverance and method
make her his superior. Therefore, let us hope that in astronomy, which now affords a large field for women’s work and skill,
she may, as has been the case in several other sciences, at least prove herself his equal.”
Not long after Fleming began working as housekeeper for Edward Charles Pickering, the director of Harvard College Observatory,
he offered her a position at the observatory. There are two accounts of how this came about: “(1) in 1879 Pickering offered
her a part-time position as a copyist and computer at the Observatory because he was ‘struck by her obviously superior
education and intelligence,’ or, (2) a male assistant proved to be unsatisfactory and ‘in a huff Pickering is reported to have
said...that he believed his housekeeper could do a better job.’” He was right on the last count. She did do a better job than
his previous assistant.
Read the entire article here: /wfleming.htm
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6. Ask Urania
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Coming soon...
We receive many emails of an astronomical nature and reply to as many as we can. We’ll share those with you, and our replies,
in upcoming issues.
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7. Cosmic Campus
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"The reason I am doing an astronomy story is because we
got to choose what story we wanted to do and I am much more interested in astronomy than I am in biology."
Pluto’s Demotion
By Shelby Cook
"The solar system right now is exactly like it was 24 hours ago nothing's changed in that time period -- just the name by
which we define each of these things." Although Pluto has many characteristics that make up a planet, it doesn’t meet all
the requirements. Many people believe that Pluto’s demotion was for the best because it was causing so much conflict between
scientists. Many people believe Pluto shouldn’t have been demoted because it was a planet for so long and because it was
causing more commotion then it ever did before. I will be examining both sides of the argument by explaining how and why it
was demoted, people’s opinion on the demotion, and the effects of Pluto’s demotion.
Read the entire story here: /pluto's_demotion.htm
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8. Links
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We’ve updated our Links page and added some new sites we hope
you will find interesting.
Go here to find sites of women astronomers, reports about the status of women in astronomy, and organizations and businesses:
/links.htm
Advertisement:
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Quality Roll-Off Observatory Plans, Kits and Telescope Piers: http://www.skyshed.com
The permanent or temporary observatory solution to house and operate the latest visual and photographic
astronomical equipment: http://www.skyshedpod.com
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9. Woman Astronomer Wanted
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The following positions are listed as a public service and were obtained from the e-newsletter of the American
Astronomical Society's division of the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA).
+Tenure Track Faculty in Space Physics, University of Alaska Fairbanks
See the entire list with details here:
/wawanted.htm
Please consider supporting theWoman Astronomer by advertising your positions on this page. Click here to visit our advertising
page:
/advertising2.htm
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theWoman Astronomer
P.O. Box 36011
Tucson, AZ
85740-6011
Voice 520.575.1067
Debra L. Davis, Publisher
webmaster@womanastronomer.com
Advertising Rates: /web_site.htm
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www.womanastronomer.com
Copyright 2007 - All Rights Reserved
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