Very informative and interesting historical study of the remarkable, talented women who worked at the Harvard Observatory in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Initially employed in low-paid roles, many of them rose from humble beginnings to make very substantial contributions to astronomy.

Take Willamina Fleming, for example. Born in Scotland in 1857, she was abandoned by her husband, leaving her with a child to support. Working initially as a maid at the home of Edward Pickering, the director of the Observatory, she was employed by him to examine and catalog photographic plates of stellar spectra. Eventually she devised a classification system of stars which became the basis of the alphabetical system still used today. It’s because of this Scottish maid that we refer to our Sun as a G-type star, for example.

There were many other women employed by the Observatory who went on to make major scientific contributions. Annie Jump Cannon, who improved on the classification system; Henrietta Swan Leavitt, who discovered the luminosity-period relationship of Cepheid variable stars; the list goes on.

Sobel makes all of this a fascinating story. My only complaint (perhaps due to my faltering memory these days) is that there are SO many names mentioned that it sometimes became difficult to remember who was being talked about at a particular time. ( )

I liked it. Was afraid the math and physics might be too much for me, but the author gave enough for the reader to understand what these women were doing and why it was important without getting the reader bogged down in the details. I especially enjoyed when there was a glimpse into the thoughts of one of the people, a diary or letter extract, wish there had been more of that but probably not much available ( )

This is a history of the role of the women who analyzed photographic plates of stars produced at the Harvard College Observatory from the mid-nineteenth century onward. Ironically, the work of making the observations themselves at night on telescopes in Harvard and observatories elsewhere was deemed too difficult for women to undertake. Originally the women who did the compilations were wives, sisters and daughters of astronomers, but eventually graduates of women's colleges were hired to continue the work. It is amazing to learn how many of the computations and discoveries were made by women in a scientific field usually dominated by men. The approach was rather dry, but I enjoyed listening to it. ( )

could have benefited from more societal/historical anecdotes to liven it up a bit. well researched but super dry. In terms of enjoyment, I would give it 2 stars but I really do appreciate the research that went into it, so I'll give it 3. ( )

Wonderful. Amazing history of the exploration of the universe by the Harvard Lady Compuers. ( )

Enjoyed it very much! I don't even love astronomy, and thinking too much about the extent of our universe gives me the willies, but this was very personal with many excerpts from people's letters and diaries. As much or more about the people involved as the discoveries they made. I will be keeping an eye out for some of her other books. ( )

This book looks at the role women played, especially but not exclusively, at Harvard in mapping the stars and in developing an understanding of their characteristics -- size, brightness, composition -- often developing formulae that remain useful today. Their dedication and achievements are inspirational. It is nice that they got some recognition for their contributions, although not always as much as they deserved.

Overall, the book was a bit dry. I know about the work these women did, but not much about them. Maybe there isn't a lot of information available? There is a story in the book about Mr. Shapley becoming distracted by ants as he's setting up a telescope and how he goes on to study them in his spare time. The story shows the inherent curiosity of scientists and I would have liked more of that kind of thing.

I like the title. Made me think that these women broke the "glass ceiling" by being hired for scientific work and were now focused on making their mark on the "glass universe". ( )

The story of the women who worked in the Harvard Observatory from the beginnings of photographic astronomy to the post WWII period, as computers, recording the observations of the astronomers and squeezing as much information as possible from the results, gaining recognition for their contributions to astronomy until ultimate recognition as astronomers in their own right from the university and academia at large. ( )

After reading the book Hidden Figures I became interested in reading more about women in the fields of science and technology. I found the book to be a bit slow at points but i still enjoyed it. After finishing it I had a great desire to learn more about women in the science fields. ( )

Edward Pickering, the fourth director of the Harvard College Observatory, was its longest-serving director. During his tenure, he employed numerous female assistants as “computers” to record and organize notes and make calculations from astronomical observations and from photographic plates. Sobel picks up her story with the premature death of amateur astronomer Henry Draper and his widow’s subsequent funding of Pickering’s research in her husband’s memory.

The Draper Catalogue of Stellar Spectra and its successors were the result of methodical analysis and classification of the photographic images of the stars. Most of this work was carried out by women such as Williamina Fleming, Antonia Maury, and Annie Jump Cannon. These women had an incredible opportunity to contribute to the science of astronomy, yet they were underpaid and under-rewarded for their achievements. These women were known among the community of astronomers, yet the awards for their contributions primarily went to Pickering and his successors. It’s ironic that even Sobel, in writing a book about the ladies of Harvard Observatory, gives more attention to Pickering than to any of the many women who worked with him.

Although Sobel writes for a popular audience, I found parts of the book hard going with no background in astronomy. I was more interested in other aspects of the book, such as the personal lives of the astronomers, Pickering’s cultivation of donors for the work, the politics of academia, and the problems of organization and storage of the rapidly growing library of photographic plates. All of these aspects are more relatable to me. ( )

Sobel discusses the admission of women to the Harvard Observatory even in the day when Harvard's student population consisted of males only. The women cataloged and observed the stars, making important contributions to the field of astronomy. While it is nice to see women play an important role beginning in the late nineteenth century, the book suffers from a dry narrative which takes us mainly through the end of the World War II with the main subjects. The book discusses astronomy prizes in the women's honors which continues their legacy to the near present. Although a handful of footnotes pepper its pages, the book mainly includes two sections of narrative notes for each chapter. It also includes a glossary of astronomic terms, short biographies of persons who worked at the Harvard Observatory, both male and female, and a timeline. It also included a section of photographs. Perhaps the saddest photograph shows the now idle observatory refractor. The city's expansion means it never grows dark enough in the evening to make observations. The author includes an extensive bibliography, but the lack of documentation throughout the book limits its academic appeal. The dry narrative will not engage a popular audience. Only those with a genuine interest in astronomy will likely complete their attempted read of this one. ( )

The reader was very good, but despite once taking astronomy at MHC, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz........ ( )

Not quite as engaging as [b: Hidden Figures|30840370|Hidden Figures The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space|Margot Lee Shetterly|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474752658s/30840370.jpg|55627110], but still an interesting look at women in science and a relatively quick read. ( )

A fascinating account of the female astronomy team at the Harvard Observatory during the late nineteenth century and early to mid twentieth century. At the time, operating telescopes and doing other kinds of work outside at night were not considered "ladylike," but scientifically inclined women could work as "computers" instead, and calculate the positions of the stars and other astronomical objects. As time went on, photography revolutionized astronomy, and pictures of the night sky were captured on specially made glass photographic plates. The collection of glass plates expanded as Harvard astronomers built observatories around the world, and made plates of the Southern Hemisphere's night sky as well as the Northern Hemisphere's. The team of women began analyzing all of these plates as well, and along the way became experts on stellar spectroscopy, developed a meaningful classification of stars that is still used today, successfully determined the chemical composition of the stars, and worked out a method for using starlight to compute distances across space.

The hundreds of glass plates these women prepared and studied are still extant and reside in the archives of the Harvard Observatory, and modern astronomers still find them useful. The plates are currently being digitized so they can be available to astronomers all over the world, so in some ways things have come full circle.

Unusually for the time, they all received credit for their work during their lifetimes, but it seems their story has been forgotten in the intervening decades. This book tells it, and I greatly enjoyed it. ( )

A fascinating account of the female astronomy team at the Harvard Observatory during the late nineteenth century and early to mid twentieth century. At the time, operating telescopes and doing other kinds of work outside at night were not considered "ladylike," but scientifically inclined women could work as "computers" instead, and calculate the positions of the stars and other astronomical objects. As time went on, photography revolutionized astronomy, and pictures of the night sky were captured on specially made glass photographic plates. The collection of glass plates expanded as Harvard astronomers built observatories around the world, and made plates of the Southern Hemisphere's night sky as well as the Northern Hemisphere's. The team of women began analyzing all of these plates as well, and along the way became experts on stellar spectroscopy, developed a meaningful classification of stars that is still used today, successfully determined the chemical composition of the stars, and worked out a method for using starlight to compute distances across space.

The hundreds of glass plates these women prepared and studied are still extant and reside in the archives of the Harvard Observatory, and modern astronomers still find them useful. The plates are currently being digitized so they can be available to astronomers all over the world, so in some ways things have come full circle.

Unusually for the time, they all received credit for their work during their lifetimes, but it seems their story has been forgotten in the intervening decades. This book tells it, and I greatly enjoyed it. ( )

The Harvard Observatory pioneered observations of the heavenly bodies by photography and spectroscopy (as opposed to physical observations) in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At that time Edward Pickering was the Observatory’s Director. He and his successors hired professional staff and student assistants, among them a good proportion of women, who made significant contributions to astronomy, in particular to the study and cataloging of the Stars. The women pursued graduate degrees, both Masters and PhDs, wrote catalogs, articles and books, and won international acclaim. This is their story.

At times the detail is overwhelming, but there is a Glossary, time table and list of “characters” at the back of the book. ( )

Great local history about the Center for Astrophysics and the women who cataloged the stars and made amazing discoveries. ( )

The perfect story for us non-scientists who, all the same, would like exposure to how science happens and an introduction to the technology behind it. I found the different approaches by the different women took to studying the stars fascinating as well as the many groups who were involved, including international influence. ( )

A complement to "Miss Leavitt's Stars" which I am also currently reading. This book takes a wider view, and covers a longer period. It manages to give more background to "Miss Leavitt's Stars", which was a help to me. I plan to read it in physical form, having only listened to it in audio so far.

It's funny how Pickering managed to be an ardent feminist while simultaneously routinely and deliberately underpaying his female employees.

What started as mild amusement at the underrepresentation of women in this book, turned into boredom (this books puts me, a professor in engineering, to sleep), and then ended in plain anger. I waffle between 1-2 stars. After getting to Cecilia Payne, and finally realizing that all of these women are called Miss instead of doctor or just by their name (as the men are) and are constantly othered and that the incredible contribution of Dr. Payne was (IMO) so poorly communicated and the story of how she was led to doubt even herself... it's preposterous to call this a book about women in science. it's a book that has women. furthermore, I don't think the explanations of the science and their meaning or import are adequate.

I found the narrative to be much too chronological. I didn't feel that it maintained the threads of the scientific endeavor or the personalities. After reading reviews with Dava Sobel, it seems that she had a very hard time trying to put all the material together. I can definitely appreciate the book a lot more from that perspective, but I suspect there was a publishing push due to Hidden Figures that left the book unpolished. Also, I am aggravated by the fact that so much of the book is about men (esp first half) and that all the women are Miss or Mrs. or otherwise designated by their relationships to men .


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here are my prior thoughts:

As a PhD in engineering, I thought this would be inspiring. It's not, it's frustrating and boring. So many science and history books end up like a jumble or chronological list of facts and anecdotes. This book is no exception, in my opinion. I understand the desire to stay close to the material.... but I don't think it's achieved.

it seems the author wrote the book with mostly information created by men (journals, letters) and so we end up with four pages about men for every page about women.

the discoveries are jumbled with financing. the chronological organization doesn't really aid the reader, it just confuses since most of the astronomy seems to be described in generic terms and there no real theme to the chapters.

this book is neither about women in science or astronomy. it's about the director of the Harvard Observatory, a bunch of other dudes, and the choice of letters for classification of stars and financing of the Observatory by women. ( )

In the mid-19th century, the Harvard Observatory began employing women as computers, to do the calculations that were the necessary next step after observations were made and recorded. It was considered inappropriate to subject women to the rigors of nighttime observation work, but there was no reason they couldn't do the essential mathematics. Initially, these women were often family members of the director or other astronomers, introduced to the field by their husbands, brothers, or fathers. As time went on and the demand for good computers grew, though, it became a field of science unusually open to women who were increasingly able to pursue formal scientific education.

That need grew in part because another woman, Mrs. Anna Draper, heiress to the Draper fortune, wanted to support her late husband's dedication to photographic study of the stars. Through her support, Harvard amassed half a million glass photographic plates, which could be studied in far more detail and precision than hand-drawn records that preceded them.

The women of the Harvard Observatory, whether wives, sisters, and daughters at the outset, or later, graduates of the women's colleges of Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley, or even, in one case, a former maid, Williamina Fleming, recruited by the observatory director, made major discoveries. Fleming discovered ten novae and over three hundred variable stars. Annie Jump Cannon developed the stellar classification system still in use today. Dr. Cecelia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin became not just Harvard's first female professor of astronomy, but also its first female department head.

They weren't just doing the boring, tedious stuff, as sometimes assumed now. They were doing ground-breaking scientific work, collaborating in what might now seem surprising equality with the men of the observatory.

These are fascinating stories, and well told by Sobel and well read by Campbell. In addition, this audiobook does include the sources, glossary, and other after-matter that are an essential part of the book, making pursuit of further information about any of the subjects that much easier.

Highly recommended.

I bought this audiobook. ( )

The view of the Harvard College Observatory under the directors Edward Pickering and Harlow Shapely and the women calculators and astronomers who worked and build reputations there is almost all pretty high level more a discussion of a not quite accidental group of women who made substantial contributions to astronomy and astrophysics. There is almost no hint of what the community life or individual life of the dedicated women was like, and lacking any real villain beyond a crushing paternalistic system, the only hint of scandal Pickering's somewhat profligate and decidedly glory hound of a brother was always geographically distant, and unwillingness of Harvard's President Lowell to accept women as officially associated with Harvard is not dissected as to whether it had to do with astronomy or women and he was hardly an exception if the latter. So this isn't quite the interesting tale of [Longitude], but it is a painless discussion of late 19th and early 20th century astronomical advances. ( )

This non-fiction account, subtitled “How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars,” is a history of the Harvard College Observatory and the women who both funded the scientific program there and performed a great deal of the research.

The women workers functioned as “computers” at a time when the machines we today call computers were not yet in existence. Many of the women came to the observatory when young and spent the rest of their lives doing astronomical work. There were six of them at first, later expanding to 14. They toiled for hours over glass plates of the stars made by astronomers in both the northern hemisphere at Harvard, and at Harvard's southern outpost in Arequipa, Peru.

The women subdivided the sky and examined the plates from each stellar region. They analyzed and recorded the brightness of each star with respect to the others on the plates, and looked for oddities - especially new and/or variable stars. They also identified the spectra of all of the stars. (Prisms inside the telescopes split the light of each star, revealing barcode-like lines indicating properties of stars such as chemical composition and temperature.)

The glass universe that grew in size year by year paralleled the one revealed above astronomers' heads with ever stronger telescopes.

Right from the outset, the author tries to disabuse readers of the commonly held notion that the female workers at the Harvard Observatory were underpaid and undervalued because they were women. Yes, they were paid pittance wages, but so was everyone else at the observatory; money for research was scarce. And they were far from undervalued. In fact, Edward Pickering, head of the Harvard Observatory for over 40 years - from 1877 to 1919, did all that he could to give credit to the women’s findings and to advance their positions. His successor, Harlow Shapley (Director from 1921 to 1952), did even more.

The most significant finding derived from the glass plates, one in some ways as earth-shaking as the findings of Galileo, was made by Henrietta Swan Leavitt, one of the “computers” at the observatory. She discovered that a certain type of pulsating star, called a Cepheid Variable, always exhibited a direct relationship between brightness and its period of alterations in brightness. The brighter the magnitude, the longer the period - always. So if one Cepheid Variable was not as bright as another but had the same period, it must be farther away, and that distance could be calculated mathematically. Cepheid variables became the markers of distance in space. Her discovery not only enabled astronomers to calculate distances in space, but showed that the Milky War was not the only galaxy in the universe, a truly revolutionary finding. Later, it helped demonstrate that the universe was expanding.

As a Nasa website points out,

"This method works up to 13 million light-years when Earth-bound telescopes are used. . . . Recently, space-based telescopes such as the Hubble Telescope, have used these stars to much farther distances. Looking at a galaxy in the Virgo cluster called M100, astronomers used the Cepheid variables observed there to determine its distance - 56 million light-years."

Although one purpose of this history is to highlight the achievements of the women at the observatory, Pickering plays a central role. He worked tirelessly to get whatever funds he could to operate the observatory and to reward budding astronomers. He helped usher in a new era that employed photography and spectroscopy to take astronomical findings to the next level. He ensured that the library of the glass plate universe was expanded, protected, and made available to any wishing to study the stars.

Astronomers no longer use glass plates, since everything is done digitally. But this does not mean the glass universe is without value. On the contrary, as the author observes:

“ . . . no matter how broadly or deeply modern sky surveys probe outer space, they cannot see what the heavens looked like on any given date between 1885 and 1992. The record preserved in the Harvard plate collection of one hundred years of starry nights remains unique, invaluable, and irreplaceable.”

Today, astronomers regularly consult the plates (over 500,000 of them!) to enrich and interpret their latest findings: “Celestial denizens undreamed of at the start of Pickering’s sky patrol - pulsars, quasars, black holes, supernovae, X-ray binaries - nevertheless left their marks on the plates.”

Evaluation: This tribute to tireless scientists including a small dedicated circle of women is well worth reading for an appreciation of the enormity of the effort of many people over many years behind scientific discoveries. Sobel also makes the point that while the men were generally assisted by wives, the women scientists who worked so long and so hard, also had homes and families to take care of, and they did it all.

A Few Notes on the Audio Production:

This book was narrated admirably by Cassandra Campbell, who makes even the introduction of chapter numbers sound beautiful. She seamlessly takes on the pronunciation of different places in different languages, and it was a pleasure to listen to her.

Addenda: Harvard University is working to digitize and transcribe notebooks from some of Harvard College Observatory's most famous women computers, including Henrietta Leavitt and Annie Jump Cannon. They are looking for volunteers to help from home! You can read more about this and find out how to get involved here. ( )

This book was thoroughly researched and well written, but I would have appreciated more scientific and historical context. Was the classification of hundreds of thousands of stars inherently useful, or is it important just because it led to other discoveries, such as Leavitt's Law? Also, how do the ideas of that time relate to the current scientific consensus? I felt that everything in this book needed to be there, and was worth reading, but that more was needed to for me to appreciate the purpose of the work. The book also might have benefited from more context on women's scientific education and women's colleges at that time. ( )

I really enjoyed this one, despite a nagging feeling that there was so much about the history of astronomy that I know I learned but have since forgotten. I certainly knew of the women of the Harvard Observatory but I was fascinated to learn more of their work and lives. My only complaint was that I think she could have picked a shorter time frame and really gone into more details. Every person is probably worth a full-fledged biography, though I know there are some out there. It also did somewhat peter out at the end as she moved quickly through the post WWII period when these jobs mostly came to an end. However, the manual work done by women in astronomy remained, I have posted above my desk the following from a 1965 paper:

"Star counts were made on a single plate of a field near the north galactic pole by Miss D.M. Pyper. The plate was subdivided for counting in such a way that miscounts produced by the fatigue of the counter would produce random rather than systematic variations across the plate."

Whenever I encounter a particularly tedious bit of work, I do feel an historical kinship to Miss Pyper.