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Phoebe Waterman Haas
Public Observatory
This observatory is named to celebrate the spirit of Emma Phoebe Waterman Haas. In 1913 she became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the first woman to perform original research with a major American telescope. Haas used one of the greatest telescopes in the world at the time, the 36-inch refractor of Lick Observatory. She studied the spectra of relatively hot stars. Although she was then invited to continue as a professional astronomer, she chose to marry and raise a family.
But Haas never lost her love for astronomy. She used a telescope to show her young sons the wonders of the heavens. With that telescope, she monitored stars that varied in brightness. She shared her observations with other astronomers through the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). She remained active in the AAVSO over the next several decades through her astronomical expertise and as a patron. In a 1941 letter to AAVSO, she shared her joy of observing:
"There is nothing I enjoy more than an evening out with my telescope, the thrill of finding a faint prick of light where last time I looked, I could see nothing, then seeing that point brighten. I'll be at it again yet!"
The Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory is funded by the Thomas W Haas Foundation with the hope that your visit will kindle in you the same spirit of exploration and discovery. |