Maria Vasilyevna Zhilova (1870–1934) was the first female professional astronomer in the Russian Empire. She worked as astronomer and orbit calculator at the Pulkovo Observatory from 1895 to 1930.[1][2]

Maria Zhilova
Born1870 Edit this on Wikidata
Rybinsk Edit this on Wikidata
Died1934 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 63–64)
Saint Petersburg Edit this on Wikidata
Occupation
Academic career
FieldsAstronomy Edit this on Wikidata
Institutions

Life and work

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Zhilova was born in Rybinsk, Russia.[3]

In 1905 she was given an award by the Russian Astronomical Society for her work in celestial mechanics.[1]

The asteroid 1255 Schilowa was named after her in 1932, at first spelled "Shilowa".[1] The crater Zhilova on Venus was named after her in 1985.[4]

She was one of the women discussed in a 2017 conference on "Women's Faces of Russian Science", where she was noted as "one of the first professional woman astronomers".[5]

She died in St. Petersburg in 1934.[3]

Selected publications

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  • "Grossenbestimmung der Sterne im Sternhaufen 20 Vulpeculae". St. Petersb. AC. Sci. Bull. 2: 243–51. 1895.[6]
  • Investigation of the spectrum of the star α Bootis according to spectrograms obtained in Pulkovo in 1906. In: Zapiski Imperatorskoj akademii nauk. VIII. series, After physical-mathematical division, Volume 23, 1908, No. 3[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1255) Schilowa". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer. p. 104. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  2. ^ "ИМЕНА АСТЕРОИДОВ, СВЯЗАННЫЕ С ПУЛКОВСКОЙ ОБСЕРВАТОРИЕЙ (Names of Asteroids associated with the Pulkovo Observatory)" (in Russian). Pulkovo Observatory. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "AUT - Úplné zobrazení záznamu". Czech National Database. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  4. ^ "Zhilova". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ^ Klavdieva, Maria M. "Towards the centenary of the Great Russian Revolution: Women's Faces of Russian Science — the heritage". Conference held at the S.I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology on the 7th and 8th of November, 2017. Cyberleninka. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. ^ Creese, Mary R.S. (2015). Ladies in the Laboratory IV: Imperial Russia's Women in Science, 1800-1900: A Survey of Their Contributions to Research. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 150. ISBN 9781442247420. Retrieved 3 June 2019.