Post by Useless Facts, Badly Drawn - ourselves.space

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Useless Facts, Badly Drawn #58: Williamina Fleming. And Happy International Women's Day!

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#internationalwomensday #womeninscience #astronomy #astronomers #history #trivia #harvardcollegeobservatory #scots #williaminafleming #art #comic #webcomic #trivia #dyk #didyouknow #UselessFactsBadlyDrawn

Williamina Fleming worked as a maid for Prof. Edward Charles Pickering, director of the Harvard College Observatory. Pickering was often frustrated with his employees and would complain: "My Scottish maid could do better!" So in 1879, he proved it and hired Fleming. She discovered a total of 59 gaseous nebulae, over 310 variable stars and 10 novae. She also discovered the famous Horsehead Nebula and the first white dwarf.

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