Astronomer Biography

Harlow Shapley

Born on a farm in Nashville, Missouri on November 2, 1885, Harlow Shapley began school and shortly thereafter dropped out with the equivalent of a fifth grade education, but he still managed to become one of the greatest American astronomers ever. He studied at home while covering crime stories as a newspaper reporter. When he later returned to school to complete a six-year high school program, he ended up finishing in only two years and graduated as class valedictorian.

In 1907, Shapley was 22 and went to study journalism at the University of Missouri. When he found out that the School of Journalism would not be opening for another year, he chose to study the first subject he found in the course directory. He rejected archaeology and chose the next subject, Astronomy. (He did not chose Archaeology, we later found out, because he could not pronounce it.)

After graduation, Shapley began studying with a fellowship at Princeton University for graduate work. He studied under Henry Norris Russell and used the period-luminosity chart relation for Cepheid variable stars to determine the distances to globular clusters. He was the first to realize that the Milky Way Galaxy was much larger than earlier believed, and that the Sun was actually located in a nondescript part of the galaxy.

He later participated in the “Great Debate” with Heber Curtis on the nature of nebulas, galaxies, and the size of the Universe. This debate took place on April 26, 1920. Shapley argued against the theory that the Sun was at the center of the galaxy, and promoted that the globular clusters and spiral galaxies were within the Milky Way. We later found out that he was correct about the former and incorrect about the latter.

When the debate took place, Shapley was working at the Mount Wilson Observatory, being hired by George Ellery Hale. And after the debate, he was hired to replace the recently deceased Edward Charles Pickering as director of the Harvard College Observatory. He served as director of the HCO from 1921 to 1952. During this time, he hired Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who became the first person to earn a doctorate at Harvard University in the field of Astronomy.

In the 1940’s Shapley helped found government funded scientific associations, including the National Science Foundation. He is also responsible for the addition of the “S” in UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

Throughout his life, Shapley earned many honors and awards. The Henry Draper Medal in 1926. The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1934. The Bruce Medal in 1939. The Henry Norris Russell Lectureship in 1950. He also had many things named after him. Shapley crater on the Moon. Asteroid 1123 Shapleya. Shapley Supercluster. Shapley later died on October 20, 1972.

Works Cited

Copal, Z. "Harlow Shapley." "Great Debate:" Obituary of Harlow Shapley. 1972. 19 May 2008 .
"Harlow Shapley." The Internet Encyclopedia of Science. 19 May 2008 .

APOD 4.7

Many dark dust lanes can be seen cutting acrossthe middle of this island universe, which is a big hint to astronomers that NGC 3628 is a spiral galaxy that we see sideways. Located almost 35 light-years away in the springtime constellation Leo, NGC 3628 bears the distinction of being the only member of the Leo triplet of galaxies not in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Similar in size to our Milky Way Galaxy, the disk of NGC 3628 is clearly seen as fanning out near the edges. A faint arm can also be seen extending out to the left in this sharp deep view of the region. The slighty distorted shape and faint tidal tail suggest that NGC 3628 is interacting gravitationally with the other spiral galaxies of the Leo triplet, M65 and M66. Its pretty cool to see this view of a galaxy and to think that its shape looks completely different when seen from another angle. Its also interesting to know that this galaxy was not part of Messier's list, but M65 and M66 also located in Leo are a part of the list.

APOD 4.6

This dusty cosmic cloud almost looks like tower on its side and is in silhouette against the large star field of Scorpius. Spanning over 40 light-years, clumps of dust and molecular gas collapsing to form stays might lurk within the dark nebula. Known as a cometary globule, the swept-black cloud is shaped by intense ultraviolet radiation from the OB association of hot stars in NGC 6231, which is off the left side of the image. The same energetic ultraviolet light also powers the globule's bordering reddish glow of hydrogen gas. Hot stars embedded in the dust can be seen as small bluish reflection nebulae. This dark tower, NGC 6231, and associated nebulae are around 5000 light-years away. This looks amazing, and to think that this image spans over 40 light-years and encompasses this many stars is incredible.

APOD 4.5

Located in NGC 3582, we see many bright stars and interesting molecules forming; this complex nebula resides in the star forming region RCW 57. In this image, you can see dense knots of dark interstellar dust, bright stars that have formed in the past few million years, fields of glowing hydrogen gas ionized by these stars, and great loops of gas expelled by dying stars. During a recent study of NGC 3582, 33 massive stars were discovered to be in the end stages of star formation, and there was a clear presence of the complex carbon molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are thought to be created in the cooling gas of star forming regions, and their development in the Sun's formation nebula five billion years ago may have been an important step in the development of life on Earth. The colors in this image are truly amazing, and to think that these PAHs may have helped lead to the development of human life is pretty amazing. Interesting stuff.

APOD 4.4

Cosmic dust and gas interacting with the energetic light and winds from hot young stars forms this interstellar beast, known as the Fox Fur Nebula; the shape, visual texture, and color all combine to give this nebula its name. The blue glow on the left is dust reflecting light and winds from the bright star S Mon, which is actually outside the left edge of the image. The pink and brown colors are the combination of cosmic dust and reddish emission from ionized hydrogen gas. The star S Mon is part of a young open cluster of stars, NGC 2264, located about 2500 light-years away in the direction of Monoceros, just north of the Cone Nebula. Its pretty cool how you can actually see a fox type shape and how the colors are also similar to that of a fox.

APOD 4.3

Located in the large southern constellation of Centaraus, we see IC 2948, a bright nebula, which is also near Lambda Centauri and the eta Carina Nebula. Inside the red glowing cloud of hydrogen gas, is the energetic young star cluster IC 2944. Thackeray's Globules, the small dark clouds of obscuring cosmic dust, are potential sites for the formation of new stars, but are probably being eroded by the intense radiation from nearby young stars. If you look closely, you can clearly see the chicken shape, which gives this IC 2948 it's popular name, The Running Chicken Nebula. This entire view spans about 70 light-years, while this nebula is located an estimated 6000 light-years away. It's pretty interesting how you can actually see the running chicken shape inside this skyscape view.

APOD 4.2

Across the upperleft, Orion's belt is clearly visible, and is also clearly visible to the unaided eye at night. To the left of Alnitak, the lower left belt star, is the FLame Nebula with bright emission clouds and dark dust lanes. Directly below Alnitak is the Horsehead Nebula, and the Orion Nebula (M42) is more to the right and clearly visible to the unaided eye. Rigel, the bightest star in the picture, illuminates the Witch Head Nebula as a blue reflection nebula. Barnard's Loop is the bright red circle that encompasses the whole image. This picture is truly amazing since it has so many different pieces of astronomy located in it. It's also pretty cool how you can clearly find Orion's Belt.