Born: 1866 (Cold Spring, New York)
Died: 1952
Biography:
Antonia Caetana de Paiva Pereira Maury (March 21, 1866 – January 8, 1952) was an American astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the first to detect and calculate the orbit of a spectroscopic binary, and her work on stellar classification laid the foundation for the International Astronomical Union’s system.
Antonia Maury was born in Cold Spring, New York in 1866. Her family had a deep connection to the field of astronomy, as she was the granddaughter of John William Draper and the niece of Henry Draper, both esteemed astronomers. Her mother, Virginia Draper, was also a descendant of a physician at the court of John VI of Portugal and Charlotte of Spain.
From a young age, Maury was exposed to the wonders of science and developed a passion for astronomy. She attended Vassar College and graduated with honors in physics, astronomy, and philosophy in 1887. During her time at Vassar, she studied under the guidance of renowned astronomer Maria Mitchell, who further nurtured Maury’s interest in the field.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Maury joined the prestigious Harvard College Observatory as one of the Harvard Computers. This group of highly skilled women processed astronomical data for the observatory. Despite being paid only half the salary of men at the time, Maury’s dedication to her work remained unwavering.
In 1887, Edward Charles Pickering, the director of the observatory, discovered the first spectroscopic binary known as ζ1 Ursae Majoris. Pickering assigned Maury the task of determining its orbit, a task she successfully accomplished. This groundbreaking achievement made her the first person to detect and calculate the orbit of a spectroscopic binary.
Maury’s most significant contribution to astronomy was her development of a new system for classifying stellar spectra. She published a comprehensive catalog of stellar spectra using her classification system, which later became the basis for the International Astronomical Union’s classification. Her work had a lasting impact on the field and laid the foundation for future advancements in stellar classification.
Throughout her career, Maury devoted a significant amount of time studying the binary star Beta Lyrae. Her observations and analysis of this system provided valuable insights into the behavior and characteristics of binary stars.
In recognition of her groundbreaking work, Antonia Maury was awarded the Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy in 1943. This prestigious award acknowledged her significant contributions to the field of astronomy and celebrated her as a pioneer in spectroscopic binary research and stellar classification.
Antonia Maury’s work continues to inspire and influence astronomers to this day. William Wilson Morgan, one of the developers of the MK system of stellar classification, praised her as the single greatest mind that has ever engaged itself in the field of the morphology of stellar spectra. Her dedication, perseverance, and groundbreaking research have cemented her place in history as one of the most influential astronomers of her time.
Awards:
– Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy (1943)