Ida Barney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ida Barney
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| Born | November 6, 1886 New Haven, Connecticut
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| Died | March 7, 1982 (aged 95) New Haven, Connecticut
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| Citizenship | United States |
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| Known for | Astrometric measurements of 150,000 stars |
| Awards | Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy (1952) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
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| Thesis | (1911) |
Ida Barney was an amazing American astronomer. She was born on November 6, 1886, and passed away on March 7, 1982. Ida is famous for measuring the positions of 150,000 stars! She wrote 22 books about these star measurements.
Ida studied at Smith College and Yale University. She spent most of her career working at the Yale University Observatory. In 1952, she won a special award called the Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy.
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Early Life and Interests
Ida Barney was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on November 6, 1886. Her mother was Ida Bushnell Barney and her father was Samuel Eben Barney.
Ida loved watching birds. She was even the president of the New Haven Bird Club! After she retired, she kept living in New Haven. She passed away there on March 7, 1982, when she was 95 years old.
Ida's Education
In 1908, Ida Barney graduated from Smith College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there. She was a member of two important student honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi.
Three years later, in 1911, she earned her Ph.D. from Yale University. Her advanced degree was in mathematics.
Her Career in Science
After getting her Ph.D., Ida Barney taught mathematics. From 1911 to 1912, she was a professor at Rollins College. Then, she moved back to her old school, Smith College. She worked there as a mathematics instructor.
In 1917, she became a professor at Lake Erie College. She stayed there until 1919. In 1920, she returned to Smith College as an assistant professor.
Working at Yale Observatory
In 1922, the Yale University Observatory hired Ida Barney. She started as a research assistant. She held this job until 1949, when she was promoted to research associate.
At that time, observatories like Yale's were focusing a lot on astronomy. This was because new cameras could be attached to telescopes. When Ida first started, she worked with Frank Schlesinger. She would look at photos of stars taken by telescopes. Then, she would figure out where the stars were in the sky. This work was very detailed and required many calculations.
Ida found ways to make these measurements better and faster. She even used a special machine that helped center the photographic plates. This made her work more accurate.
Leading Star Cataloging
In 1941, Frank Schlesinger retired. Ida Barney then took over the important job of cataloging stars. Under her leadership, the measurements from the star photos were finished. They used a new electronic device at the IBM Watson Scientific Laboratory. This device helped reduce eye strain and made the measurements even more accurate.
Ida worked for 23 years on this project. Her hard work helped create the Yale Observatory Zone Catalog. This catalog was a series of star lists published from 1939 to 1983. It contained information on about 400,000 stars. Ida's personal contribution was huge. She recorded the exact position, brightness (called magnitude), and movement (proper motion) of about 150,000 stars.
Because her work was so precise, her star catalog is still used today. It helps scientists study how stars move over time. Ida retired from her academic career in 1955.
A Woman of Achievement
In 1940, a special event called the Women's Centennial Congress took place. It celebrated 100 years of progress for women. To show how much things had changed, 100 "successful women" were invited. These women were doing jobs that would have been impossible for women in 1840.
Ida Barney was chosen for the "Science" group. She was listed alongside other famous scientists like Margaret Mead and Annie Jump Cannon. All the women chosen were American, alive, and working in fields that were new for women.
Honors and Legacy
In 1952, while she was a Research Associate at Yale, Ida Barney received a major award. It was the Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award is given every three years to women astronomers by the American Astronomical Society. It is a very respected honor.
Ida Barney is buried at Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.
An Asteroid was named after her! Asteroid 5655 Barney was discovered in 1973. It was named in her honor to remember her important contributions to astronomy.
See also
In Spanish: Ida Barney para niños
Published works
