Life and achievements
Early life
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was born in 1900 in Wendover, England, to parents with academic backgrounds. Her father was a barrister and historian, and her mother came from a family of scholars. Since childhood, Cecilia had an excellent inclination toward science, though women were not allowed to get a proper education in this field. Her father died when she was only four, and her mother had to bring up Cecilia and her two siblings alone to ensure that they became education-inclined.
Payne went to St. Paul's Girls' School in London, where she developed her passion for science and the natural world. With the encouragement of the school's headmaster, she started creating her interest in astronomy, although women were expected to pursue more feminine careers during that period. In 1919, she studied physics, chemistry, and botany at Newnham College, Cambridge. However, after listening to a lecture by Sir Arthur Eddington on his expedition to verify Einstein's theory of general relativity, Payne decided to take up astronomy.
Legacy
However, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's significant contribution is not limited to discovering the chemical composition of stars. Her work focused on investigating stellar atmospheres and transformed scientific views in astrophysics. However, she was initially dismissed as a failure, but her work is now accepted as one of the most brilliant in the given field. Another lesson that can be learned from the story is that even when people are against you, you should stay strong and continue working; Payne's story also shows that women can succeed in science and become professors at such prestigious universities as Harvard.
Her works in variable stars were also the basis of contemporary astrophysics. Through documenting millions of observations, Payne made a reference material that is a reference for research to this date. In addition to her scientific accomplishments, Payne has been honored as a role model for young scientists, especially females. She broke the mold at a time when women were rarely allowed to enter academic and scientific fields, and she was the first woman to chair a department at Harvard University.
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's hard work, intelligence, and achievements have made her one of the brightest stars in the history of astronomy.
Milestone moments
May 10, 1900
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England
Cecilia Helena Payne was born to Emma Leonora Pertz Payne and Edward John Payne, a London barrister and historian. She had two siblings, and owing to her family's background in intelligence, she was to make significant scientific discoveries in the future.
The early life of the woman was influenced by her father's death when she was only four years old since her mother had to raise the family alone.
Cecilia's early education was in local schools, but studying at St. Paul's Girls' School in London developed her interest in science.
There, having no opportunities for women in society, she became interested in astronomy, which determined her future occupation.
She was born in an environment rich in intellectual stimuli, which nurtured in her a thirst for knowledge, making her one of the most influential icons in the history of astrophysics.
Jun 1, 1925
Submission of Ph. D. Thesis on Stellar Atmosphere
Cecilia Payne became the first person to earn a Ph. D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College (affiliated with Harvard) with her groundbreaking thesis titled Stellar Atmospheres: A Contribution to the Observational Study of High Temperature in the Reversing Layers of Stars.
For her thesis, she suggested that stars mainly consisted of hydrogen and helium, which was quite the opposite of what most scientists of that era believed.
Although her colleagues did not initially accept her ideas, Payne's hypothesis was eventually proved right, thus making her one of the founders of astrophysics.
This discovery changed the entire look at the composition of stars and paved the way for most of the astrophysical work carried out today.
Jul 1, 1934
Marriage to Sergei Gaposchkin
Cecilia Payne married astrophysicist Sergei Gaposchkin, a Russian-born man, in 1934. The two collaborated on astronomical projects, especially researching variable stars.
Together, they brought a lot of input to understanding stellar behavior, primarily through identifying millions of stars.
It signifies a significant transition in their personal lives and enhances their professional astronomy experiences.
Cecilia was able to overcome the gender biases in academia, and even after her marriage, she was able to pursue her scientific career while being a mother.
Jul 1, 1956
Harvard University's First Female Professor
In 1956, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin became the first woman in history to become a full professor at Harvard University. This promotion also made her the first woman to chair a department at Harvard University, a significant achievement in a male-dominated sector.
Her promotion was a significant point in her career as it signaled that she had significantly impacted astrophysics.
She served as the Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Harvard, where she impacted the university's academic organization and the development of astronomy as a discipline, preparing many future astronomers.