Dee ihe na-aga n'ihu maka paragraf a - Mgbe Pickering lara ezumike nká na 1921, Directorship nke HCO dara Harlow Shapley (a isi so na-akpọ "Great arụmụka
" nke 1920). Oge a nke ụlọ nyocha ahụ bụ nke Cecelia Payne-Gaposchkin, bụ onye ghọrọ nwanyị mbụ nwetara PhD na mbara igwe site na Radcliffe College (obere ije site na Observatory). N'akwụkwọ Payne-Gapochkin dere n'afọ 1925, o kwuru na ihe ndị mejupụtara kpakpando bụ mmiri mmiri na helium, nke bụ́ ihe na-enweghị isi n'oge ahụ. N'agbata oge Shapley na nhazi nke CfA, Donald H. Menzel na mgbe ahụ Leo Goldberg duziri ụlọ nyocha ahụ, ha abụọ kwadoro mmemme ndị a ma ama na mbara igwe na mbara igwe. Menzel rụrụ ọrụ dị mkpa n'ịgba ndị Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory ume ịkwaga Cambridge na iso HCO rụkọọ ọrụ nke ọma.