Thread by @mnutty

106 years ago, one of #Ireland's giants of #Astronomy, Margaret Lindsay Murray Huggins (1848 - 1915), passed #OnThisDay

#HERstory #STEM #GLobalIrishNation #OTD

2) Margaret Lindsay Murray was born in #Dublin in 1848 and lost her mother her mother, Helen Lindsay, while still a child. In the absence of her mother, she seems to have developed a shared interest in Astronomy with her paternal #Scottish banker grandfather Robert Murray

3) Margaret seems to have been self educated, delving into #astronomy and developing photographic skills which became important for her future research in astronomical spectrography which involves the examination of light spectrums emitted by planets, stars and nebulae

4) Margaret appears to have met her husband William Huggins (1824 - 1910) at a musical recital in London. Huggins had pioneered work in spectography which had come to Margaret's attention through her reading

5) Huggins would visit #Dublin in the early 1870s to arrange delivery of astrononomical equipment manufactured by the Grubb Telescope Company. Howard Grubb (1844 - 1931) would reintroduce Margaret to Huggins. Despite the 24 year age difference, the couple were married 1875

6) The relationship between the new couple, while childless, would prove to be highly fruitful as the they continued their pictography research which was abetted by Margaret's knowledge of spectography. They would publish research jointly over the next 30 years

7) William would die in 1910 and Margaret some 5 years later. She would bequeath much of her scientific legacy to @Wellesley College in the United States which she had pioneered 3rd level education for women.

8) For a more detailed biography of the life of Margaret Lindsay Huggins, please visit the @DIB_RIA site

dib.ie/biography/hugg…