(SNES) Ikeya Zhand, Cepheid Variables, Henritta Leavitt, and Sundry Topics

[Les Coleman <colemans@riconnect.com>]

Hi Folks,

On Friday April 19th,  Ikeya-Zhang will pass within  a degree of one  of
the  most  significant  stars  in  the annuals of science delta-Cepheii.
This variable star was the first of its kind ever discovered and it lead
to the discovery that galaxies were in fact separate star systems rather
than luminous clouds within the Mily Way Galaxy.  Some years ago I wrote
a newspaper essay about Cepheid variables in a south shore newspaper as:

      http://www.frostydrew.org/observatory/courses/y98m12.htm

which I  entitled "Candles  in the  Night".   It discusses  the work  of
Henrietta  Leavitt,  an   astronomer  at  Harvard   College  Observatory
discovered a relationship between  the absolute brightness of  a Cepheid
variable star and its period.   Her discovery lead Edwin Hubble to  make
the great leap when he discovered Cepheid variables in M31, proving that
the  "Great  Nebecular  Cloud  in  Andromeda"  was in fact more properly
called "The Great Galaxy in Andromeda".

Some  of  you  may  know  that  I  am a great Observatory Groupie.  I've
wangled invitations to several dozen Observatories throughout the United
States, both huge and modest.  In  fact I'll be at the Very Large  Array
in Socorro New Mexico in 11  days.  Henrietta Leavitt went on  to become
the first woman astronomer at Vassar College after her work at  Harvard.
She  rousted  young  women  out  of their dormatories whenever something
special was in the skies of  Poughkeepsie New York.  She climbed  a hill
behind the college.  I am very fond of this hill.  It overlooks my  home
of 19 years which lies on a part of Poughkeepsie which used to belong to
the College.   I  was very  happy to  discover on  one of my Observatory
Groupie  trips  that  this  very  hill  is  now the home of Vassar's new
Observatory.

I'll grant you that the connection is tenuous at best but it is pleasing
to me as the comet passes the first known Cepheid Variable.

Les Coleman
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