Overview

A forgotten heroine of science and how she solved one of the crucial mysteries of the universe. How big is the universe? In the early twentieth century, scientists took sides. One held that the entire universe was contained in the Milky Way galaxy. Their champion was the strong-willed astronomer Harlow Shapley. Another camp believed that the universe was so vast that the Milky Way was just one galaxy among billions―the view that would prevail, proven by the equally headstrong Edwin Hubble. Almost forgotten is the Harvard Observatory computer―a human number cruncher hired to calculate the positions and luminosities of stars in astronomical photographs―who found the key to the mystery. Radcliffe-educated Henrietta Swan Leavitt, fighting ill health and progressive deafness, stumbled upon a new law that allowed astronomers to use variable stars―those whose brightness rhythmically changes―as a cosmic yardstick. Miss Leavitt's Stars is both a masterly account of how we measure the universe and the moving story of a neglected genius.

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An elegant and absorbing account of a signal event in humanity's discovery of the deeper cosmos. -- Timothy Ferris, author of The Science of Liberty Illuminating. -- New York Times Johnson paints a luminous portrait of Leavitt and shows how her patient work sparked an explosion of astronomical creativity. -- Discover Magazine The well-known science writer George Johnson fashions a fascinating picture of Miss Leavitt's life...His grace in bringing her to life is matched by his lucidity in explaining difficult scientific concepts. -- Scientific American

Author Information

George Johnson writes regularly about science for the New York Times. He has also written for National Geographic, Slate, Discover, Scientific American, Wired, and The Atlantic, and his work has been included in the Best American Science Writing. A former Alicia Patterson fellow, he has received awards from PEN and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and his books were twice finalists for the Royal Society's book prize. He is a cohost of Science Faction on bloggingheads.tv and writes the blog Fire in the Mind for Discover. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Stephen Bowlby is an in-demand narrator with a background in film and stage acting.

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