{"id":14310,"date":"2026-04-22T05:54:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/14310\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T05:54:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:54:08","slug":"woman-who-unlocked-the-secrets-of-the-stars-honoured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/14310\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman who unlocked the secrets of the stars honoured"},"content":{"rendered":"

The astronomer who discovered what stars are made of, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, has been commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque at her teenage home, 70 Lansdowne Road in Notting Hill.<\/p>\n

It was while living at this address that Payne-Gaposchkin won a scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge.<\/p>\n

She later earned a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard and in 1927, she became the youngest astronomer ever to have a star of distinction next to her name in the publication American Men of Science.<\/p>\n

Senior historian at English Heritage, Howard Spencer, described her as “a scientist of exceptional brilliance and determination”.<\/p>\n

\"Photograph<\/p>\n

Her groundbreaking 1925 thesis proposed that stars are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium [Air and Space Museum]<\/p>\n

Her groundbreaking 1925 thesis proposed that stars are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, a discovery that fundamentally changed scientific understanding of the universe, even though it was initially met with scepticism.<\/p>\n

Over the course of her career, she published hundreds of scientific papers and became the first woman to be appointed a full professor at Harvard University.<\/p>\n

Her research on stellar atmospheres and variable stars established her as one of the most significant astronomers of the 20th Century.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ratios of hydrogen and helium measured in the Milky Way galaxy match Payne-Gaposchkin’s 1925 calculations [Getty Images]<\/p>\n

Other astronomers commemorated with a blue plaque include Sir Arthur Eddington, who encouraged Payne-Gaposchkin in her early career, and the scientific couple, Walter and Annie Maunder.<\/p>\n

Spencer added: “This plaque marks the London home where, as a young woman, she began to develop the knowledge and ambition that would take her to the forefront of modern astronomy.<\/p>\n

“Her story is not only one of groundbreaking discovery, but also of perseverance in the face of barriers that limited women in science.”<\/p>\n

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds<\/a> and follow BBC London on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n