Williamina Fleming

Williamina Fleming
Fleming, c. 1890s
Born
Williamina Paton Stevens

(1857-05-15)15 May 1857
Dundee, Scotland
Died21 May 1911(1911-05-21) (aged 54)
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Alma materNone
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsHarvard College Observatory
Signature

Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming (15 May 1857 – 21 May 1911) was a Scottish astronomer. At the Harvard College Observatory, she contributed to the photographic classification of stellar spectra, helping to develop a common designation system for stars. Fleming cataloged more than ten thousand stars, 59 gaseous nebulae, over 310 variable stars, and 10 novae, among other astronomical phenomena. She is credited with the discovery of the Horsehead Nebula in 1888, and she was a vocal supporter of women's representation in her field.