This is an artist's picture of the Harvard Observatory placed on the background of a bunch of novae. Novae are the stars that Fleming discovered.
Click on image for full size
Windows to the Universe original image
Williamina Fleming
Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming was a Scottish-American astronomer who lived
from 1857-1911. She discovered 10 of the 24 novae then known. Novae are
stars that suddenly increase their brightness then fade to their former
dimness over a period of months or years.
She also discovered over 200 variable stars. Variable stars are those that
change in light intensity over time. Fleming worked at the Harvard Observatory
for many years.
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