Harlow Shapley | |
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Born | November 2, 1885 Nashville, Missouri, U.S. |
Died | October 20, 1972 Boulder, Colorado, U.S. | (aged 86)
Alma mater | University of Missouri, Princeton University |
Known for | Determining correct position of Sun within Milky Way Galaxy; head of Harvard College Observatory (1921–1952) |
Children | 5, including
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Awards |
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Scientific career | |
Fields | Astronomy |
Doctoral advisor | Henry Norris Russell |
Doctoral students | Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, Carl Seyfert |
Other notable students | Georges Lemaître |
Harlow Shapley (November 2, 1885 – October 20, 1972) was an American scientist, head of the Harvard College Observatory (1921–1952), and political activist during the latter New Deal and Fair Deal.[1][2]
Shapley used Cepheid variable stars to estimate the size of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Sun's position within it.[3] In 1953 he proposed his "liquid water belt" theory, now known as the concept of a habitable zone.[4]