Annie J. Cannon (astronomer)

Annie J. Cannon was an influential American astronomer born in 1863, best known for her pioneering work in Classifying stars. She developed the Harvard Classification Scheme, which categorized stars based on their temperatures and spectral characteristics. Cannon's work was vital for understanding stellar evolution and properties. Throughout her career, she was instrumental in advancing women in science, becoming one of the first female astronomers to gain recognition in a male-dominated field. Cannon discovered over 300 variable stars and contributed to thousands of star classifications, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of astronomy.