Henry Draper · Asteria Star

Biography

Henry Draper was an American physician and pioneer of astrophotography. In 1872 he made the first photograph showing the spectral lines of a star, Vega, and in 1880 he captured the first photograph of the Orion Nebula. After his early death, the Harvard stellar catalogue compiled in his memory — the Henry Draper Catalogue — was named in his honour.

Scientific contributions

Pioneered astronomical photography
Took the first photograph of a stellar spectrum (Vega, 1872)
First to photograph the Orion Nebula (1880)

Observatories, instruments & objects

Observed

Orion Nebula

Knowledge connections

Part ofModern Astronomy
ObservedOrion Nebula

Sources & references

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

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

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