astronomy

Maria Zhilova

Maria Zhilova is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Maria Zhilova rather than just read about it. In short: Maria Vasilyevna Zhilova (Russian: Мария Васильевна Жилова; 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.

Key takeaways

Maria Zhilova belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Maria Zhilova to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Maria Zhilova from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Maria Vasilyevna Zhilova (Russian: Мария Васильевна Жилова; 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.

Life and work Zhilova was born in Rybinsk, Russia. In 1905 she was given an award by the Russian Astronomical Society for her work in celestial mechanics. The asteroid 1255 Schilowa was named after her in 1932, at first spelled "Shilowa" (Russian: Ж и л о в а). The crater Zhilova on Venus was named after her in 1985. 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". She died in Saint Petersburg in 1934.

Selected publications "Grossenbestimmung der Sterne im Sternhaufen 20 Vulpeculae". St. Petersb. AC. Sci. Bull. 2: 243–51. 1895. 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

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Maria Zhilova

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Maria Zhilova claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Maria Zhilova before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Maria Zhilova ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Maria Zhilova

In research: Maria Zhilova appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Maria Zhilova in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Maria Zhilova is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1870 births, 1934 deaths, 19th-century astronomers from the Russian Empire, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Maria Zhilova outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Maria Zhilova in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Maria Zhilova means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Maria Zhilova out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Maria Zhilova in simple terms?

Why does Maria Zhilova matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Maria Zhilova?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Maria Zhilova.