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Explored by Muriel E. Mussells Seyfert
Explored by Muriel E. Mussells Seyfert
In her work as a Computer examining photographic glass plates, Seyfert became an expert at identifying the location and features of tens of thousands of faint galaxies. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, astronomers had just realized that the fuzzy galaxies in their images were actually “island universes” - huge collections of stars that were external to our own Milky Way galaxy. Seyfert’s work was critical to the 1937 article by Harlow Shapley entitled “Thirty-Six Thousand Galaxies in the South Polar CAP” (a region of the sky). Had this work been published today, she would likely be a co-author.
In her work as a Computer examining photographic glass plates, Seyfert became an expert at identifying the location and features of tens of thousands of faint galaxies. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, astronomers had just realized that the fuzzy galaxies in their images were actually “island universes” - huge collections of stars that were external to our own Milky Way galaxy. Seyfert’s work was critical to the 1937 article by Harlow Shapley entitled “Thirty-Six Thousand Galaxies in the South Polar CAP” (a region of the sky). Had this work been published today, she would likely be a co-author.
Follow Muriel's stars: Use the MicroObservatory Telescopes to take your OWN image of the Andromeda Galaxy!
Follow Muriel's stars: Use the MicroObservatory Telescopes to take your OWN image of the Andromeda Galaxy!
When you get your image back - see how many other galaxies YOU can identify among the background stars in the image. Look for objects that appear as fuzzy smudges!
Interested in the woman behind this science? Learn more about Muriel Elizabeth Seyfert!
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