Silent Sky

by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Tina Hodge Thronson

An inspiring and true-life story of Henrietta Leavitt, an astronomer ahead of her time. It is 1900, and Henrietta has the opportunity to work at Harvard University to help map the stars but receives no scientific credit. She is eager to use Harvard’s telescope – the Great Refractor – but is told that she will not be able to access the telescope or do astronomical research.  She will only be allowed to log the stars photographed by the men of the department. However, Henrietta will not be dissuaded, and begins the process of recording the changes she identifies in Cepheid stars – a scientific discovery that has profound and lasting impact on the field of astronomy and astrophysics.  Silent Sky is the poignant tale of a woman’s dedication to the stars, and the human touch that makes life under the vast sky beautiful and timeless.

Performance Dates and Times
Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.
March 17 – April 1
Sunday Matinees 2:00 p.m.
March 19 & 26

Performance Dates Tickets
Friday March 17, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Saturday March 18, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Sunday March 19, 2023 - 02:00 PM EST
Thursday March 23, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Friday March 24, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Saturday March 25, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST (ASL Interpreted)
Sunday March 26, 2023 - 02:00 PM EST (ASL Interpreted)
Thursday March 30, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Friday March 31, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Saturday April 1, 2023 - 07:30 PM EST
Henrietta Leavitt

Henrietta Leavitt is an astronomer ahead of her time. It is 1900, and Henrietta has the opportunity to work at Harvard University to help map the stars but receives no scientific credit. She is eager to use Harvard’s telescope – the Great Refractor – but is told that she will not be able to access the telescope or do astronomical research.  She will only be allowed to log the stars photographed by the men of the department. However, Henrietta will not be dissuaded, and begins the process of recording the changes she identifies in Cepheid stars – a scientific discovery that has profound and lasting impact on the field of astronomy and astrophysics.

 

Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming

Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming was a Scottish astronomer. During her career, she helped develop a common designation system for stars and catalogued thousands of stars and other astronomical phenomena. Fleming is especially noted for her discovery of the Horsehead Nebula in 1888.  But this only begins to touch the “heart” of Williamina, an immigrant and mother.  Deserted by her husband James, she became a maid to Professor Edward Charles Pickering, who famously declared his maid could do a better job than the male assistants at the Observatory.  Williamina was hired.

 

 

Annie Jump Cannon

Annie Jump Cannon was an American astronomer whose cataloging work was instrumental in the development of contemporary stellar classification.  But that doesn’t speak to the “heart” of Annie Cannon.  Along with her fellow “Harvard computers,” she was criticized for being “out of place” and not being a housewife. Women did not commonly rise beyond the level of assistant in this line of work at the time and many were paid only 25 cents an hour to work seven hours a day, six days a week.  She became a suffragist and a member of the National Women’s Party, in the struggle to acquire the right to vote for women.

 

 

The Veil Nebula, discovered photographically in 1904 by Williamina Fleming.

The Veil Nebula is a supernova remnant discovered in 1904. It was discovered photographically by Williamina Fleming, one of the “Harvard Computers” who worked at Harvard College Observatory. Did Williamina get credit for her discovery?  No. Credit went to Edward Charles Pickering, the director of the observatory, as was the custom of the day.  One section of nebula was actually named the “Pickering’s Triangle,” in recognition.