ASTRONOMER

Harlow Shapley

1885 - 1972

Photo of Harlow Shapley

Icon of person Harlow Shapley

Harlow Shapley (November 2, 1885 – October 20, 1972) was an American scientist, head of the Harvard College Observatory (1921–1952), and political activist during the latter New Deal and Fair Deal. Shapley used Cepheid variable stars to estimate the size of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Sun's position within it. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Harlow Shapley has received more than 419,387 page views. His biography is available in 45 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 43 in 2019). Harlow Shapley is the 166th most popular astronomer (down from 131st in 2019), the 2,302nd most popular biography from United States (down from 2,000th in 2019) and the 29th most popular American Astronomer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 420k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 56.85

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 45

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 6.10

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.93

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among ASTRONOMERS

Among astronomers, Harlow Shapley ranks 166 out of 644. Before him are James Glaisher, Franz Xaver von Zach, Friedrich Karl Arnold Schwassmann, Norman Lockyer, Nicole-Reine Lepaute, and Williamina Fleming. After him are William Robert Brooks, Luboš Kohoutek, Hubert Reeves, Michael H. Hart, J. Allen Hynek, and Jean Philippe Loys de Cheseaux.

Most Popular Astronomers in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1885, Harlow Shapley ranks 80. Before him are Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein, John Edensor Littlewood, St John Philby, Camille Chautemps, Dora Pejačević, and Frank Jack Fletcher. After him are Jacques Feyder, Bess Truman, Platt Adams, Friedrich Kellner, Noman Çelebicihan, and Theodor Kaluza. Among people deceased in 1972, Harlow Shapley ranks 71. Before him are Clara Campoamor, Eugène Tisserant, Akim Tamiroff, Ettore Bastico, Alejandra Pizarnik, and Frans Masereel. After him are Paul Goodman, C. Rajagopalachari, Stephen Timoshenko, Viktor Barna, Watchman Nee, and William Dieterle.

Others Born in 1885

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 1972

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In United States

Among people born in United States, Harlow Shapley ranks 2,302 out of 20,380. Before him are Diana Nyad (1949), Treat Williams (1951), Frank Jack Fletcher (1885), Stephen Crane (1871), John Phillips (1935), and Rick Riordan (1964). After him are Holly Hunter (1958), Lionel Barrymore (1878), David Strathairn (1949), Lionel Hampton (1908), Nathan Rosen (1909), and George Gallup (1901).

Others born in United States

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among ASTRONOMERS In United States

Among astronomers born in United States, Harlow Shapley ranks 29. Before him are Maria Mitchell (1818), Dorothea Klumpke (1861), Henry Draper (1837), Carolyn S. Shoemaker (1929), Andrea M. Ghez (1965), and George Phillips Bond (1825). After him are Michael H. Hart (1932), J. Allen Hynek (1910), William Henry Pickering (1858), Robert Grant Aitken (1864), Eleanor F. Helin (1932), and Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891).

American born Astronomers

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous