Rosina Dafter facts for kids

Rosina Dafter (born Fitton) was a special astronomer. She was born on March 15, 1875, and passed away on June 9, 1959. Rosina Dafter was the very first Australian woman to become a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. This is a big honor for astronomers!

She made important discoveries in space. In 1927, she found the Pons-Winnecke comet again after it had been lost. She also discovered new variable stars in the Carina constellation. Variable stars are stars that change how bright they look from Earth.

Early Life and Moving to Australia

Rosina Fitton was born in London, England. Her parents were Margaret and Richard Fitton. Her father made pianos. Rosina went to school at Holy Trinity Church School in London.

Before she became an astronomer, she worked as a dress designer. On November 20, 1898, she married John Albert Dafter. In 1910, Rosina and John moved to Australia. They settled in a place called Northgate. They had two foster sons who worked on ships as merchant mariners.

How Rosina Became an Astronomer

Rosina was interested in stars from a young age. She also enjoyed studying mathematics as a hobby. But it wasn't until she moved to Australia that she really started learning about astronomy.

She taught herself a lot about the stars and planets. She asked for advice from others and worked hard to learn on her own. This shows that you can learn amazing things if you are curious and dedicated!

Rosina's Work in Astronomy

Rosina Dafter became a very active member of the astronomy community. In 1923, she joined the British Astronomical Association. This group had a branch in New South Wales. For 30 years, she was the main observer for the southern part of Australia for this association.

She also joined other important astronomy groups. These included the New Zealand Astronomical Association and the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Being part of these groups helped her share her discoveries and learn from other astronomers.

Studying Starlight and Sharing Knowledge

Rosina Dafter helped with a big research project. She collected data about starlight from Brisbane. This data was combined with information from Broken Hill in Australia and from Japan. The goal was to get photometric data at the same time from all three places. Photometry is the science of measuring the brightness of stars.

Rosina also loved to share what she knew with others. She wrote articles about astronomical events for local newspapers. She gave talks to the public about Astronomy. Her work was also published in many science journals. She wanted everyone to be excited about the wonders of space.

Rosina Dafter passed away in 1959. She left behind a legacy as a pioneering woman in Australian astronomy.

Images for kids

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  A robot friend

See also

In Spanish: Rosina Dafter para niños