Henrietta Swan Leavitt

American astronomer and human calculator (1868–1921)
Person human Q110181
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
William Henry credited as photographer in the Woman Citizen issue where this photo appeared. · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Henrietta Swan Leavitt

Summary

Henrietta Swan Leavitt is a human[1]. Her place of birth was Lancaster[2]. She was born on +1868-07-04T00:00:00Z[3]. She died in Cambridge[4]. She died on +1921-12-12T00:00:00Z[5]. She worked as an astronomer[6]. She ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (429 views/month, #6,918 of 1,000,298).[7]

Key Facts

  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's place of birth was Lancaster[2].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt passed away in Cambridge[4].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on +1868-07-04T00:00:00Z[3].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt died on +1921-12-12T00:00:00Z[5].
  • Burial took place at Cambridge Cemetery[8].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's father was Rev. George Roswell Leavitt[9].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's mother was Henrietta Swan Kendrick[10].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt held citizenship in United States[11].
  • English was Henrietta Swan Leavitt's native language[12].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as an astronomer[6].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's field of work was astronomy[13].
  • Among Henrietta Swan Leavitt's employers was Harvard University[14].
  • Among Henrietta Swan Leavitt's employers was Harvard College Observatory[15].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's education included a stint at Radcliffe College[16].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's education included a stint at Harvard University[17].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was educated at Oberlin College[18].
  • A notable work attributed to Henrietta Swan Leavitt is standard candle[19].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society[20].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of Harvard Computers[21].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Astronomical Society[22].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science[23].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Association of University Women[24].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Association of Variable Star Observers[25].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's religion is recorded as Eastern Orthodoxy[26].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's image is recorded as Henrietta Swan Leavitt 1921.png[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born in Lancaster[2]. She was born on +1868-07-04T00:00:00Z[3]. Her father was Rev. George Roswell Leavitt[9]. Her mother was Henrietta Swan Kendrick[10]. English was her native language[12].

Education

Educated at Radcliffe College[16], a college[28], in United States[29], founded in 1879[30]; Harvard University[17], a private university[31], in United States[32], founded in 1636[33], headquartered in Cambridge[34]; and Oberlin College[18], a college[35], in United States[36], founded in 1833[37], headquartered in Oberlin[38].

Career and Affiliations

Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as an astronomer[6]. Her field of work was astronomy[13]. Employers include Harvard University[14], a private university[39], in United States[40], founded in 1636[41], headquartered in Cambridge[42] and Harvard College Observatory[15], an astronomical observatory[43], in United States[44], founded in 1839[45], headquartered in Cambridge[46].

Works and Contributions

A notable work attributed to Henrietta Swan Leavitt is standard candle[19]. Things named for her include Leavitt[47], a lunar crater[48].

Personal Life

Henrietta Swan Leavitt's religion is recorded as Eastern Orthodoxy[26].

Death and Burial

Henrietta Swan Leavitt died on +1921-12-12T00:00:00Z[5]. She passed away in Cambridge[4]. The cause of death was cancer[49]. She is buried at Cambridge Cemetery[8].

Why It Matters

Henrietta Swan Leavitt ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (429 views/month, #6,918 of 1,000,298).[7] She has Wikipedia articles in 28 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[50] She is known by 25 alternative names across languages and contexts.[51]

She has been cited as an influence by Margaret Harwood[52], an astronomer[53], 1885–1979[54], of United States[55], awarded the honorary degree[56].

She is credited with the discovery of Period-luminosity relation[57] and T Pyxidis[58], a cataclysmic variable star[59]. Entities named for her include Leavitt[47], a lunar crater[48].

FAQs

Where was Henrietta Swan Leavitt born?

Born in Lancaster[2], Henrietta Swan Leavitt…

Where did Henrietta Swan Leavitt die?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt died in Cambridge[4].

Who were Henrietta Swan Leavitt's parents?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt's father was Rev. George Roswell Leavitt[9]. Henrietta Swan Leavitt's mother was Henrietta Swan Kendrick[10].

What did Henrietta Swan Leavitt do for work?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as astronomer[6].

Where did Henrietta Swan Leavitt go to school?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt was educated at Radcliffe College[16], Harvard University[17], and Oberlin College[18].

Who did Henrietta Swan Leavitt influence?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt has been cited as an influence by Margaret Harwood[52].

What did Henrietta Swan Leavitt discover?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt is credited as discoverer of Period-luminosity relation[57] and T Pyxidis[58].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [27] . wikidata.org.
  2. [2] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  3. [4] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  4. [9] . Genealogics. wikidata.org.
  5. [10] . Genealogics. wikidata.org.
  6. [11] . wikidata.org.
  7. [16] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  8. [17] . wikidata.org.
  9. [18] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  10. [13] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  11. [12] . wikidata.org.
  12. [6] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  13. [14] . wikidata.org.
  14. [15] . The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. wikidata.org.
  15. [8] . Find a Grave. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  16. [26] . wikidata.org.
  17. [20] . wikidata.org.
  18. [21] . wikidata.org.
  19. [22] . NNDB. wikidata.org.
  20. [23] . NNDB. wikidata.org.
  21. [24] . wikidata.org.
  22. [25] . wikidata.org.
  23. [49] . wikidata.org.
  24. [3] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  25. [5] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  26. [19] . Forgotten Women: The Scientists. Retrieved . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [52] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [57] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [58] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [47] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [7] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [50] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [51] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Henrietta Swan Leavitt. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt
MLA “Henrietta Swan Leavitt.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 11 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_henrietta-swan-leavitt_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Henrietta Swan Leavitt}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-11}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Henrietta Swan Leavitt — https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt (retrieved 2026-04-11)

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