Cecilia payne autobiography of a face

Amy Davy explores the life and work of Cecilia Payne, a remarkable scientist who changed our understanding of the Sun.

A remarkable scientist who changed our understanding of the Sun, Cecilia Payne (1900-1979) defeated a misogynistic society to become Harvard’s first female Head of Department.

Cecilia and the Sun

In the early 1920s Payne completed her studies at Cambridge University, UK, but was not awarded a degree due to her sex.

Whilst she was there, she decided to pursue a career in astronomy. Opportunities for women in scientific academia were almost non-existent in England, so she decided to move to Harvard, USA.

In 1925, Payne completed her PhD at Harvard College Observatory for her work on the temperatures of stars and their chemical make up.

During her research she discovered that the Sun was mostly made of hydrogen and helium.

However, this result conflicted with current understanding which stated that the Sun had