Curious to discover the mysteries of the universe? Enjoy studying the stars? Follow in the footsteps of these remarkable women who have made significant advances in the field of astronomy, including Nancy Grace; Williamina Stevens Fleming; Vera Rubin and Cecilia Payne!
Always Looking up: Nancy Grace started an astronomy club as a young girl in which they studied constellations, mapped the night sky and watched meteors. Despite teachers not supporting her interests in math or science, Nancy was determined to become an astronomer and design a new telescope that would float above the atmosphere. She's now known as "The Mother of Hubble," and Hubble Space Telescope images continue to delight and inform the world about the universe!
The Fire of Stars: In this fascinating story two stars are born: astrophysicist Cecilia Payne and a celestial body of gases! Readers follow Celia's move from the country to the city of London and then to Harvard in America. Throughout these changes, Celia's passion for science is fueled and consistent, energizing her stellar discoveries about the composition of stars.
She Caught the Light: Scottish-born Williamina Stevens Fleming found employment working as a maid for the Director of the Harvard College Observatory. Curious and bright, Williamina started studying stars with the Director, measuring their chemical elements. She classified over 10,000 stars and, what's more, she requested recognition and fair pay for her work, becoming the first woman to have an official title at Harvard University.
The Stuff Between the Stars: At age 11, Vera Rubin loved staring up at and studying the night sky from her bedroom window. She went on to study something in astronomy no one else was looking at - how stars moved at the edges of galaxies. Initially, Vera was told that her ideas on the movement of galaxies were ridiculous, and was even ignored, but her observations on dark matter eventually became well-respected and even earned noteworthy awards.
Do you have a favorite book about women in astronomy? Let us know in the comments.
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