Edward Charles Pickering was an American astronomer born on July 19, 1846, in Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known for his work at the Harvard College Observatory, where he significantly advanced the field of astrophysics. Pickering developed a systematic approach to stellar classification and was instrumental in the creation of the Harvard Classification Scheme. Pickering also championed the use of photography in astronomy, leading to the first extensive photographic survey of the night sky. He employed a team of women astronomers, often referred to as the "Harvard Computers," who played a crucial role in analyzing data and contributing to scientific discoveries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.