Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1892 — FAMED AS AN ASTRONOMER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FAMED AS AN ASTRONOMER.

Mm. Mina Fleming Doing Notable YVorli at t'arvari! Observatory. In the wonderful stellar discoveries recently made by photographing the spectra of the stars the women as-

sistants at the Harvard observatory have accomplished important results, and one of tho most striking ol these is the discovery made by IMrs. Mina Fleming that variable stars of a certain typo may be

proved variable by the bright lines in their spectra. The examination of the plates, the measurement of the position and the brightness of tho stars, tlie discussion of the results obtained from the plates and the forming of catalogues from those results have been carried on mainly by Mrs. Mina Fleming and her assistants, at present numbering eight, says the Providence Telegram. Mrs. Fleming’s brief reports of discoveries made by her are sent to the Astronoinlschen Nachrichten and other astronomical journals over the simple signature, “M. Fleming,” but her work is well known to astronomers as that of a woman. The extent to which it Is appreciated may he judged by an extract from a review which appeared last October in the Observatory, the regular publication issued at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, England: “It would be difficult to say too much in praise of the zeal and skill with which the great work (the catalogue) has been accomplished. The name of Mrs. Fleming is already well known to tho world as that of a hrilliantdiscoverer, but the present volume shows that she can do real'hard work as well.”

The Harvard Observatory Is the first to develop a corps of trained women assistants, dealing with difficult problems as successfully as men deal with them at other observatories; and this corps of women, in addition to doing thorough routine work, has shown great capacity for original Investigations.

MRS. MINA FLEMING.