Charlotte Moore Sitterly
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Emma Moore Sitterly (September 24, 1898 – March 3, 1990) was an American
astronomer
.
Charlotte Moore was born in Ercildoun
, Pennsylvania
, a small village near Coatesville
. She graduated from Swarthmore College
in 1920 and went on to Princeton
to assist Henry Norris Russell
. During this time she worked at the Princeton University Observatory and the Mt. Wilson Observatory. While at Princeton, Moore's interest in astrophysics began to blossom. She worked at the Princeton University Observatory where she was accompanied by Henry Norris Russel. The two of them used spectroscopy to determine the wavelength where spectral lines appeared. She worked extensively on solar spectroscopy
, analyzing the spectral lines of the Sun
and thereby identifying the chemical element
s in the Sun. She earned a Ph.D. in astronomy
in 1931 from the University of California, Berkeley
on a Lick Fellowship, and then returned to Princeton.
During her second stay at Princeton, she met and married Bancroft W. Sitterly, who became a physics professor. She continued to publish journals under her maiden name because most of her recognition was under that name. She joined the then National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1945. Her tables of atomic spectra and energy levels, published by NBS, have remained essential references in spectroscopy for decades.
Later in her life, it became possible to launch instruments on rocket
s and she extended her work to the ultraviolet
spectral lines. She is known to being one of the only scientists who devoted her entire career to gaining precise numbers which gave assurance to people using her information.
Named after her
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
Charlotte Moore was born in Ercildoun
Ercildoun, Pennsylvania
Ercildoun, population about 100, is an unincorporated community in East Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 1985 the entire hamlet, including 31 properties, was listed as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, a small village near Coatesville
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
. She graduated from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
in 1920 and went on to Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
to assist Henry Norris Russell
Henry Norris Russell
Henry Norris Russell was an American astronomer who, along with Ejnar Hertzsprung, developed the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram . In 1923, working with Frederick Saunders, he developed Russell–Saunders coupling which is also known as LS coupling.-Biography:Russell was born in 1877 in Oyster Bay, New...
. During this time she worked at the Princeton University Observatory and the Mt. Wilson Observatory. While at Princeton, Moore's interest in astrophysics began to blossom. She worked at the Princeton University Observatory where she was accompanied by Henry Norris Russel. The two of them used spectroscopy to determine the wavelength where spectral lines appeared. She worked extensively on solar spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
, analyzing the spectral lines of the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
and thereby identifying the chemical element
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
s in the Sun. She earned a Ph.D. in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
in 1931 from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
on a Lick Fellowship, and then returned to Princeton.
During her second stay at Princeton, she met and married Bancroft W. Sitterly, who became a physics professor. She continued to publish journals under her maiden name because most of her recognition was under that name. She joined the then National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1945. Her tables of atomic spectra and energy levels, published by NBS, have remained essential references in spectroscopy for decades.
Later in her life, it became possible to launch instruments on rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s and she extended her work to the ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
spectral lines. She is known to being one of the only scientists who devoted her entire career to gaining precise numbers which gave assurance to people using her information.
Honors
Her Awards- Annie J. Cannon AwardAnnie J. Cannon Award in AstronomyThe Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy is awarded annually by the American Astronomical Society to a woman resident of North America, who is within five years of receipt of a Ph.D., for distinguished contributions to astronomy or for similar contributions in related sciences which have immediate...
(1937) - William F. Meggers Award of the Optical Society of AmericaOptical Society of AmericaThe Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
(1972) - Bruce MedalBruce MedalThe Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal is awarded every year by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for outstanding lifetime contributions to astronomy. It is named after Catherine Wolfe Bruce, an American patroness of astronomy, and was first awarded in 1898...
(1990)
Named after her
- AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
2110 Moore-Sitterly2110 Moore-Sitterly2110 Moore-Sitterly is the name of an asteroid which was discovered at Goethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana by the Indiana Asteroid Program. It was named for the astronomer Charlotte Moore Sitterly....
External links
- Bruce Medal: Charlotte Emma Moore Sitterly
- QJRAS Obituary
- BAAS Obituary
- Bibliography from the Astronomical Society of the PacificAstronomical Society of the PacificThe Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...