E. Margaret Burbidge, Astronomer Who Blazed Trails on Earth, Dies at 100 - The New York Times

E. Margaret Burbidge, Astronomer Who Blazed Trails on Earth, Dies at 100 - The New York Times

Margaret Burbidge, who traced the origin of everything

Pioneering astrophysicist Margaret Burbidge, who helped to explain the origin of all chemical elements, from beryllium to zinc, died on Sunday at the age of 100. Burbidge was the lead author, along with William Fowler, Fred Hoyle and her late husband Geoffrey Burbidge, on a milestone 1957 paper that explained how stars synthesize many elements heavier than lithium through nuclear fusion. The paper helped Fowler to earn a Nobel Prize, an honour that some say Burbidge deserved, too. Burbidge was a trailblazer for women in the field — early in her career, she was barred from using some of the best telescopes of the time because of her gender.

New York Times | 7 min read