Attention is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt (Von Mertens)

Henrietta Leavitt (1868–1921) worked at the Harvard College Observatory in the early years of the 20th century as a human computer, tasked with measuring the positions and brightness of stars on photographic plates. One of her first research projects was to study variable stars of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. This led to her 1908 discovery of the relationship between the luminosity and period of Cepheid variables. Leavitt’s Law, as it has become known, provided astronomers with the first standard candle with which to measure the distance to other galaxies.

It is only in recent years that Leavitt’s contribution to astronomy has become properly recognised, in part thanks to books such as Miss Leavitt’s Stars by George Johnson (2005) and The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel (2016). Anna Von Mertens’ book is an important addition because it takes a different perspective to these earlier volumes. She brings the eye of a visual artist to Leavitt’s work, raising to life Leavitt’s carefully annotated and curated glass plates from their dusty vaults at Harvard. The lavishly illustrated – and extremely well-produced – book contains not only images of these plates, but also representations of Von Merten’s own conceptual art in the medium of graphite drawings, hand-stitched quilts, and textiles.

The book comprises a series of essays by Von Mertens covering Leavitt’s life and how she carried out her work of carefully examining and annotating the glass plates at her desk in Harvard, how she gained insights into Cepheids, and contextualising the importance of her discoveries.

The highlight for me is the essay ‘Data’s Presence and Erasure’ which covers the important project started in 2004 to scan and digitise Harvard’s 500,000 plates (some of which had a narrow escape when the archives were flooded in 2016). Time domain astronomy is currently a major theme in astronomical research, with many sky surveys such as PanSTARRS and the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS). The Harvard archive is a pioneering example, doubtless with many secrets still waiting to be revealed. However, in the process of scanning, much of the annotations that Leavitt and others had made on the plates were removed. Learning of this gave Von Mertens much heartache, and she considers whether time domain astronomy can (or should) be removed from the environment and culture from which it emerged. When does a collection transition from being seen as a resource of astronomical information to being recognised as a culturally significant artefact?

Von Merten’s essays are interspersed with contributions from others, which are equally engaging. These include art historian Jennifer L. Roberts, cosmologist Wendy Freedman, astrophysicist João Alves, and novelist Rebecca Dinerstein Knight.

Attention Is Discovery will appeal to all astronomers, especially those with an interest in astronomical history and variable stars. It also brings to life the important contributions of female astronomers as well as highlighting the interconnectivity between science and art, and the cultural significance of astronomical archives. Highly recommended!

Professor Jeremy Shears is Director of the BAA Variable Star Section, Papers Secretary and Trustee.