Vibert Douglas facts for kids

Allie Vibert Douglas (born December 15, 1894 – died July 2, 1988) was a famous Canadian astronomer. She was the first Canadian woman to become an astrophysicist, which is a scientist who studies the physics of stars and other objects in space. She was also known as Alice Vibert Douglas, but she often used her middle name, Allie.

Early Life and Education

Allie Douglas was born in Montreal, Quebec, on December 15, 1894. Sadly, both of her parents died the same year she was born. Because of this, she first lived in London, England with her brother, George, and her grandmother. Her grandfather was a well-known minister and teacher named Rev. George Douglas.

In 1904, Allie and George moved back to Montreal. They both went to Westmount Academy. Allie loved science, but she felt that being a girl was a problem. In high school, she was not allowed to join a small science club just because she was a girl. Her brother helped her by leaving the door open so Allie could sit outside and listen to the lessons. Allie was a very good student. She graduated at the top of her class and won a scholarship to McGill University.

Studies Interrupted by War

In 1912, Allie started studying math and physics at McGill. But her studies were stopped during her third year when World War I began. Her brother, George, joined the army and was sent to London, England. George suggested that Allie and their two aunts, Mina and Mary, move to London with him.

While in London, a family friend asked Allie to help with the war effort. She decided to work in the War Office as a statistician. This meant she collected and analyzed numbers for the government. Even though bombs sometimes fell near her workplace, Allie kept going. She earned the highest pay among all the temporary women working for the government. In 1918, when she was 23, she received the Order of the British Empire for her important work.

Becoming an Astrophysicist

Allie returned to Montreal in 1920 and continued her studies. She earned her bachelor's degree and then her master's degree in 1921. She then went to the University of Cambridge in England. There, she studied with Arthur Eddington, who was one of the most important astronomers of that time.

In 1926, Allie earned her PhD in astrophysics from McGill University. She was the first person to get a PhD from a Quebec university. She was also one of the first women in North America to achieve this. Later, Allie wrote an important book about Arthur Eddington called The Life of Arthur Eddington.

Career and Achievements

After getting her PhD, Allie Douglas became a teacher at McGill University. She taught physics and astrophysics. In 1939, she moved to Queen's University at Kingston. There, she became the Dean of Women, which meant she was in charge of the female students, until 1958. From 1946 until she retired in 1964, she was a Professor of Astronomy. She played a big part in helping women get accepted into engineering and medicine programs at the university.

Awards and Recognition

Allie Douglas received many honors for her work.

• In 1967, she became an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian can receive.
• In the same year, the National Council of Jewish Women named her one of the "10 Women of the Century."
• In 1988, the year she passed away, an asteroid was named Vibert Douglas in her honor.
• She was also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in Britain.
• She served as president of the RASC.

Contributions to Astronomy

Allie Douglas worked with another scientist, John Stuart Foster, to study the light from certain types of stars, called A and B type stars. They also studied something called the Stark effect using the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.

In 1947, she became the first Canadian president of the International Astronomical Union. This is a very important group for astronomers around the world. Seven years later, she represented Canada at a UNESCO meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Kingston Astronomy

While living in Kingston, Allie Douglas was very active in the Kingston Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). People in Kingston had been interested in astronomy for a long time. The Kingston Observatory opened in 1855, which was the first one in Ontario. Astronomy has been taught at Queen's University since 1863.

Allie Douglas had been an active member of the RASC since her time in Montreal. She became the National President of the RASC in 1943–44. It was mostly thanks to her hard work that the Kingston Centre was started in 1961. This was the 16th Centre of the Society.

Legacy

Allie Vibert Douglas passed away on July 2, 1988. A patera (which is a type of crater) on the planet Venus is named after her. It is called Vibert-Douglas Patera and is located at 11.6° South latitude and 194.3° East longitude. It is almost round and about 45 kilometers (28 miles) wide.