Astronomer · 1868 CE – 1921 CE

Henrietta Swan Leavitt

Biography

Henrietta Swan Leavitt was one of the Harvard 'computers' who measured stars on photographic plates. Studying variable stars in the Magellanic Clouds, she found that a Cepheid's pulsation period reveals its true brightness — a relation that let astronomers measure distances across the universe, and which Hubble used to prove that galaxies lie far beyond the Milky Way.

Scientific contributions

Discovered the Cepheid period–luminosity relation
Gave astronomers their first reliable cosmic 'standard candle'

Major discoveries

The Cepheid Period–Luminosity Relation1912 CE

Related scientists

Influenced

Edwin Hubble

Knowledge connections

StudiesThe Milky Way
Part ofModern Astronomy
InfluencedEdwin Hubble
Collaborated withEdward Charles Pickering
DiscoveredThe Cepheid Period–Luminosity Relation

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica
General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.

Quick facts

Lifespan: 1868 CE – 1921 CE
Nationality: American
Era: Modern Astronomy
Fields: Astrophysics
Institutions: Harvard College Observatory
Discoveries: 1

Quality & authority

31%

Unreviewed

Completeness: Complete
Source coverage: Partial
Citation coverage: None
Relationship coverage: Complete
Review coverage: None
Image coverage: None

Curated from authoritative reference sources. See source quality.

Scientific citations

Real, source-backed references — primary papers first, then datasets and institutional sources. Formatted through the citation engine; nothing is fabricated.

Historical referenceHenrietta Swan Leavitt — Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Cite (APA / BibTeX)

Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.). Henrietta Swan Leavitt — Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henrietta-Swan-Leavitt

@misc{cite:britannica-astronomer-henrietta-leavitt,
  title        = {Henrietta Swan Leavitt — Encyclopaedia Britannica},
  organization = {Encyclopaedia Britannica},
  year         = {n.d.},
  url          = {https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henrietta-Swan-Leavitt},
  note         = {Biographical and background reference for Henrietta Swan Leavitt (secondary source).}
}

Loading…

Biography

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica

General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.

Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.). Henrietta Swan Leavitt — Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henrietta-Swan-Leavitt @misc{cite:britannica-astronomer-henrietta-leavitt, title = {Henrietta Swan Leavitt — Encyclopaedia Britannica}, organization = {Encyclopaedia Britannica}, year = {n.d.}, url = {https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henrietta-Swan-Leavitt}, note = {Biographical and background reference for Henrietta Swan Leavitt (secondary source).} }