Emilia Pisani Belserene facts for kids

Emilia Pauline Pisani Belserene (born December 12, 1922 – died December 11, 2012) was an American astronomer. She was an expert in studying special stars called variable stars. She especially knew a lot about RR Lyrae variable stars. People also knew her for leading the Maria Mitchell Observatory in Nantucket. She also wrote about another famous astronomer, Maria Mitchell.

Becoming an Astronomer

Emilia Belserene went to New Rochelle High School. She won a full scholarship to Smith College. There, she was the only student studying astronomy. Her teacher and mentor was astronomer Clinton B. Ford.

She finished college in 1943 with very high honors. Later, she went to Columbia University for more studies. At the same time, she was raising her family. She also taught part-time at Hunter College.

Studying Variable Stars

Emilia Belserene earned her Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in 1953. Her main project was about how variable stars in a star cluster called Messier 3 change over time. Her supervisor was Martin Schwarzschild, a famous scientist.

For her research, she used a large 36-inch refracting telescope. This telescope was at the Lick Observatory in California. It had been used since 1888. Emilia Belserene was the first woman ever to use this powerful telescope.

Leading the Observatory

Emilia Belserene became a professor of astronomy at Lehman College. Then, in 1979, she became the director of the Maria Mitchell Observatory. As director, she guided many students. They worked on projects observing variable stars.

She also created computer programs to help analyze their observations. Her work led to over 100 published scientific papers. She retired in 1991 and moved to Port Angeles, Washington. She passed away on December 11, 2012.

Achievements and Recognition

In 1959, Emilia Belserene was honored as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is a special recognition for scientists who have made important contributions.