Martha Locke Hazen facts for kids

Martha Locke Hazen (born July 15, 1931 – died December 23, 2006) was an American astronomer. She was famous for her work with variable stars and for taking care of a huge collection of astronomical photographs at Harvard University.

Early Life and Education

Martha Locke Hazen was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She grew up nearby in Belmont.

In 1953, Martha finished her studies at Mount Holyoke College. She earned a degree in astronomy there. She then continued her education at the University of Michigan. In 1958, she earned her Ph.D. (a high-level university degree). Her Ph.D. research looked at how bright elliptical galaxies were in the Virgo cluster.

Research and Career in Astronomy

Martha became a research fellow at Harvard College Observatory. This meant she did important research there. For three weeks each year, she traveled to Chile to observe the stars.

Managing Harvard's Star Photos

In 1969, Martha took on a very important job at Harvard. She became the curator of astronomical photographs. This meant she was in charge of the Harvard Plate Archives. This collection holds thousands of old glass plates. Each plate has images of the night sky. She kept this role until she retired in 2002.

Helping Women in Science

Martha also worked to improve things for women at Harvard University. She was a leader on a special committee. This committee worked to make university life better for women. In 1975, she helped organize the first "Space for Women" conference. She also helped remove unfair rules against women in the American Astronomical Society.

Work with Variable Stars

In 1975, Martha joined the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). This group studies stars that change in brightness. She was elected to the AAVSO council in 1984. She later became the vice president. In 1992, she was elected president of the association. She then served as the secretary for ten years, starting in 1993.

An Asteroid Named After Her

The Minor Planet Center is a group that tracks asteroids. They are part of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. They named an asteroid after Martha! The asteroid is called 10,024 Marthahazen. This was to honor her important work in astronomy.

Personal Life

Martha had two children, John and Hillary. She later married Bruce McHenry in 1991.

Awards and Recognition

Martha received the 37th AAVSO Merit Award. This award recognized her great contributions to the study of variable stars.

See also

In Spanish: Martha Locke Hazen para niños