Huggins, Margaret (1848–1915)
Huggins, Margaret (1848–1915)
Irish astrophysicist. Name variations: Lady Margaret Lindsay Huggins; Lady Margaret Murray Huggins. Born Margaret Lindsay Murray, 1848; died Mar 24, 1915; dau. of a solicitor in Monkstown, Dublin, Ireland; attended school in Brighton; m. Sir William Huggins (astrophysicist), Sept 8, 1875 (died May 12, 1910).
An astrophysics pioneer and research partner of her husband, assisted him for over 30 years at their home observatory at Tulse Hill in London; for astronomy, pioneered the use of the dry gelatin photographic plate with him; studied the spectra of calcium and magnesium and methods to study radiation spectroscopically; donated scientific treasures to Wellesley College in MA (in part due to acquaintance with Wellesley's Sarah Whiting, its observatory director, 1900–16); was a founding member of the British Astronomical Association. With husband, wrote Atlas of Representative Stellar Spectra (1899) and edited The Scientific Papers of William Huggins (1909); honors include a Royal Astronomical Society honorary membership (1903) and the Order of Merit (1902).