Isis Pogson facts for kids

Isis Pogson (born Elizabeth Isis Pogson; 28 September 1852 – 14 May 1945) was a British astronomer and meteorologist. She was one of the first women to become a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a very important group for astronomers.

Biography

Early Life

Isis Pogson was born in Oxford, England, in 1852. She was the oldest daughter of Norman Pogson and Elizabeth Jane Ambrose. She was likely named after the River Isis, which is the part of the River Thames that flows through Oxford.

Helping Her Father with Astronomy

Isis's father, Norman Pogson, was also an astronomer. He worked at the Radcliffe Observatory and later at Hartwell Observatory. In 1856, he discovered an asteroid called 42 Isis. This asteroid was probably named after his daughter, Isis, or perhaps after the River Isis.

In 1860, her father became the director of the Madras Observatory in Madras, India. Isis moved to India with him and her siblings. After her mother passed away in 1869, Isis helped take care of her younger brothers and sisters. She also worked as her father's assistant at the observatory.

In 1873, Isis officially got a job at the observatory as a "computer." This meant she performed calculations and helped with observations. She worked there for 25 years, until 1898, when the observatory closed. From 1881, she also served as the main person for weather reporting for the Madras government.

Breaking Barriers in Astronomy

Isis Pogson was a pioneer for women in science. In 1886, her father tried to nominate her to become a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. At that time, only men were allowed to be full members. Even though the society had given honorary memberships to a few women, all the fellows were male.

Her nomination was stopped because the society's rules, which were from 1831, only mentioned male fellows. However, things changed! In 1920, five years after the Royal Astronomical Society finally started allowing women to join, Isis Pogson was successfully nominated by Professor H. H. Turner from Oxford. This made her one of the first women to achieve this important recognition.

Personal Life

After she retired from her work in astronomy, Isis Pogson married Herbert Clement Kent in Australia in 1902. He was a captain in the Merchant Navy. The couple then moved back to England, living in Bournemouth and later in London. Isis Pogson passed away in Croydon in 1945.

See also

In Spanish: Isis Pogson para niños