Cecilia Payne

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cecilia payne-gaposchkin(1900-1979)

Cecilia Payne was born in Wendower, England, in 1900.She was an excellent student and she went to Cambridge in 1919. She learned botany, physics, chemistry and astronomy.But this intitution didn´t allow women to obtein advanced degrees.

So , she went to the USA and did her doctoral thesis at Radcliffe University.Cecilia discovered that stars are made of hydrogen and helium. She proved than hydrogen was the main component of universe.

Her discoveries were rejected by scientists but years later they had to agree with her.

In 1956, she became Harvard´s first professor of astronomy. In addition, Cecilia was a great fighter against discrimination against women.