Ida Elisabeth Woods (September 18, 1870 - October 4, 1940) worked at the Harvard College Observatory from 1893 until around 1930, a span of about 37 years.

While at the Observatory, Woods worked with Johanna Mackie and Henrietta S. Leavitt to search for new stars, including variable stars. In this effort, she observed and measured stars on the glass plate negatives.¹ She discovered many new ones, and calculated their variability and other important information.² In 1912, she received the Sarah F. Whitin fellowship for astronomical research.³ Woods attended the annual meetings of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) from 1916 to 1931.⁴ 

Woods was born in Natick to Oliver and Martha Jane Woods (née Wright).⁵ She was the third of three children, with two older brothers; Austin and Frank.⁶ Her father was a Lumber dealer. She attended Wellesley College, and graduated in 1893. She began work at the Observatory shortly after and remained there her whole career. In 1922, Woods traveled to several countries in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Her middle brother Austin provided the confirmation of her birthdate and place for the passport.⁷ Woods passed away after an illness on October 4th, 1940 at the age of 71.⁸ She is buried at the Dell Park Cemetery in Natick Mass.⁹

Woods utilized a variety of titles to describe her profession on city and federal records. On several city directories in 1894 and 1915, and again in 1921, 1922, 1925 she used “Asst at HU Observatory ''. On the 1920 Federal census she described herself as “Astronomer” at “Observatory”. On a 1922 passport, she used “Assistant of Harvard College Observatory. In a 1926 city directory she uses a form of ‘Secretary’. On the 1930 census she refers to her occupation as “Clerk” At “Observatory”. On a 1931 city directory she uses “Librarian” with the street address of the Observatory.
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Selected Publications:

Ida E. Woods. “Forty New Variable Stars.” Harvard College Observatory Bulletin No. 854, pp.5-6. January, 1926. Bib Code: 1928BHarO.854....4W
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1928BHarO.854....4W/abstract ;
http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-ref?querymethod=bib&simbo=on&submi...

Ida E. Woods, Martha B Shapley. “Light Curve and Orbit of a New Eclipsing Binary, H.V. 3622.”     Harvard College Observatory Circular, vol. 238, pp.1-4. September 1922. Bib Code: 1922HarCi.238....1W
https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1922HarCi.238....1W

Bailey, S. I., Woods, I. E. “Cluster Variables With Double Maxima” Harvard College Observatory Circular. Circular vol. 193 pp.1-4. September, 1916. Bib Code: 1916HarCi.193....1B https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1916HarCi.193....1B

Bailey, S. I., Woods, I. E. “Variable Stars in the Cluster, N.G.C. 3201.” Harvard College Observatory Circular, vol. 216, pp.1-3. May, 1919. Bib Code: 1919HarCi.216....1W https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1919HarCi.216....1W

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