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Margaret Burbidge

Margaret Burbidge (1919–2020), astronomer who showed elements form inside stars

by Kirk Fox

Burbidge was a renowned astronomer known for fighting discrimination towards women in the field.

  • Died: Sunday, April 5, 2020. (Who else died April 5?)
  • Details of Death: Died at the age of 100 from complications after a fall.
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Astronomy Pioneer

Margaret Burbidge was an influential astronomer known as “Lady Stardust,” who was the first woman to serve as director of the Royal Observatory in England. She studied the stars with her astronomer husband Geoffrey Burbidge, the pair making the major discovery that almost all the chemical elements live inside of stars. She taught for many years at the University of California at San Diego.

Discovering her love for stars

At the age of 4 she crossed the English Channel at night with her family on a trip to France. “It’s the first time I really noticed the stars.” “A small child brought up in London doesn’t get to see much of the sky, because it’s so often cloudy.” – 1978 interview with the American Institute of Physics

What they said about her

Full Obituary: New York Times

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