The Glass Universe

Archival Summary & Scope

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dava Sobel, *The Glass Universe* is the award-winning, hidden history of women's pioneering contributions to astronomy. In the mid-nineteenth century, Harvard College Observatory hired women as "human computers" to analyze telescopic observations. As photography advanced, these women meticulously studied a vast archive of glass plates, leading to groundbreaking discoveries. They determined stellar composition, established universal classification systems—like Annie Jump Cannon's enduring method—and devised techniques to measure cosmic distances. Sobel spotlights key figures, including Williamina Fleming, a former maid who identified hundreds of stars, and Cecilia Payne, Harvard's first female astronomy professor. Enriched by letters and diaries, this elegantly written account celebrates the overlooked brilliance that forever changed our understanding of the cosmos.