The Harvard Computers were a group of women that were integral to the expansion of our knowledge of space and the stars. They were in charge of “repetitive drudgery” — measurement, photo examination, and star categorization — which led to the discovery of thousands of new stars. Chief among the computers was Williamina Flemming, a housemaid turned astronomer; she discovered white dwarf stars and sowed the seeds for the creation of the Harvard star classification in use today.
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