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Almost forgotten is the Harvard Observatory "computer"--a human number cruncher hired to calculate the positions and luminosities of stars in astronomical photographs--who found the key to the mystery. Radcliffe-educated Henrietta Swan Leavitt, fighting ill health and progressive... Read Full Overview

George Johnson brings to life Henrietta Swan Leavitt, who found the key to the vastness of the universe--in the form of a "yardstick" suitable for measuring it. Unknown in our day, Leavitt was no more recognized in her own: despite her enormous achievement, she was employed... Read Full Overview

Hace casi un siglo, en un abarrotado despacho del Observatorio de Harvard, una mujer brillante, hoy casi olvidada, descubri el secreto de la inmensidad del universo. Su nombre es Henrietta Swan Leavitt y, en los d as en que a las mujeres les estaba prohibido tener carreras cient... Read Full Overview