List of women astronomers

The following is a list of astronomers, astrophysicists and other notable women who have made contributions to the field of astronomy.

A

Madge Adam (1912–2001), English solar astronomer
Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), English space scientist
Conny Aerts (born 1966), Belgian astrophysicist specializing in asteroseismology
Aglaonike (c. 1st or 2nd Century BCE), ancient Greek astronomer and thaumaturge
María Luisa Aguilar Hurtado (1938–2015), Peruvian astronomer
Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs (1912–1954), German variable star astronomer
Elizabeth Alexander (1908–1958), English geologist and physicist
Leah Allen (1884–1973), American astronomer and educator
Adelaide Ames (1900 - 1932), American astronomer
Anja Cetti Andersen (born 1965), Danish astronomer focused on cosmic dust
Necia H. Apfel (born 1930), American astronomer and educator
Alice Archenhold (1874–1943), German astronomer
Anne Archibald, Canadian astronomer and educator

B

Neta Bahcall (born 1942), Israeli astrophysicist and cosmologist specializing in dark matter
Odette Bancilhon (1908–1998), French astronomer
Beatriz Barbuy (Born 1950), Brazilian strophysicist
Amy Barger (born 1971), American galactic astronomer
Nadine G. Barlow, American planetary scientist
Amy Barr, American planetary geophysicist
Maria A. Barucci, Italian astronomer
Sarbani Basu, Indian-American astronomer working in solar and stellar astrophysics
Natalie Batalha (born 1966), American astronomer
Stefi Baum (born 1958), American astronomer and educator
Reta Beebe (born 1936), American planetary scientist
Emilia Pisani Belserene (1922-2012), American astronomer
Jocelyn Bell Burnell (born 1943), Irish radio astronomer
Mary Adela Blagg (1858–1944), English selenologist
Erika Böhm-Vitense (1923–2017), German-born American stellar astronomer
Priscilla Fairfield Bok (1896–1975), American astronomer of galactic astronomy
Tabetha S. Boyajian (born c. 1980), American stellar and exoplanetary astronomer
Sophia Brahe (c. 1559 to 1643), Danish noble woman
Ingeborg Brun (1872–1929), Danish amateur astronomer
Margaret Burbidge (1919–2020), British-American observational astronomer and astrophysicist
Marta Burgay (born 1976), Italian radio astronomer
Mary E. Byrd (1849–1934), American educator and cometary observer

C

Annie Jump Cannon (1863−1941), American astronomer who cataloged stellar spectra
Robin M. Canup (born 1968), American planetary scientist
Nicole Capitaine (born 1948), French astronomer specializing in astrometry
C. Marcella Carollo, Italian astronomer studying galaxy formation and evolution
Catherine Cesarsky (born 1943), Argentinian–French astrophysicist
Merieme Chadid (born 1969), Moroccan-French astronomer
Kyongae Chang (born 1946), South Korean astrophysicist and instructor
Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen (1751–1827), German noble and patron of astronomy
Jun Chen, Chinese–American astronomer
Lyudmila Chernykh (1935–2017), Russian astronomer
Jessie Christiansen, Australian astrophysicist
Agnes Mary Clerke (1842–1907), Irish astronomer and author
Judith Gamora Cohen (born 1946), American astronomer researching galactic astronomy
Françoise Combes (born 1952), French astrophysicist and educator
Lynn Cominsky (born 1953), American astrophysicist and educator
Janine Connes (born c. 1934), French astronomer
France A. Córdova (born 1947), American astrophysicist and administrator
Heather Couper (1949–2020), English astronomer, broadcaster and science populariser
Athena Coustenis, Greek planetary scientist
Carolin Crawford, English astrophysicist and educator
Lucy D’Escoffier Crespo da Silva (1978–2000), Brazilian astronomy student
Maria Cunitz (1610–1664), Silesian astronomer and author

D

Rosina Dafter (1875–1959), Australian astronomer
Ruth Agnes Daly, American astrophysicist
Laura Danly (born 1958), American astronomer and educator
Doris Daou (born 1964), Lebanese-Canada astronomer and educator
Marie-Jeanne de Lalande (1768–1832), French astronomer and mathematician
Audrey C. Delsanti (born 1976), French astrobiologist
Elsa van Dien, Dutch astronomer
Harriet Dinerstein, American astronomer
Ewine van Dishoeck (born 1955), Dutch astrochemist
Anlaug Amanda Djupvik, Norwegian stellar astronomer
Megan Donahue, American astronomer and instructor
Vibert Douglas (1894–1988), Canadian astrophysicist
Jeanne Dumée (1660–1706), French astronomer and author
Jo Dunkley (1979/1980), British cosmologist
Andrea Dupree, American astrophysicist

E

Maria Clara Eimmart (1676-1707), German astronomer, engraver, and designer
Sara Ellison, Canadian astronomer and instructor studying extragalactic astronomy
Rebecca Elson (1960–1999), Canadian–American astronomer and writer

F

Sandra Faber (born 1944), American astrophysicist and instructor studying galactic evolution
Fira Fatmasiefa, (born 2000) Indonesian-American astrophysicist (UC Berkeley/Boston University)
Annette Ferguson, Scottish observational astrophysicist
Laura Ferrarese, Italian astronomer studying supermassive black holes
Debra Fischer, American astronomer investigating exoplanets
Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion (1877–1962), French astronomer
Williamina Fleming (1857–1911), Scottish astronomer
Anna Frebel (born 1980), German astronomer
Wendy Freedman (born 1957), Canadian-American observational cosmologist
Katherine Freese, German theoretical astrophysicist
Caroline Furness (1869–1936), American astronomer and teacher

G

Catharine Garmany (born 1946), American astronomer and educator
Pamela L. Gay (born 1973), American astronomer, educator, and writer
Vera Fedorovna Gaze (1899–1954), Russian astronomer who studied emission nebula and minor planets
Margaret Geller (born 1947), American astrophysicist studying extragalactic astronomy
Andrea M. Ghez (born 1965), American astronomer, teacher, and Nobel prize winner
Agnes Giberne (1845–1939), English novelist and scientific writer
Nüzhet Gökdoğan (1910–2003), Turkish astronomer, mathematician and academic
Merle Gold (1921-2017), American astrophysicist
Andreja Gomboc (born 1969), Slovenian astrophysicist
Alyssa A. Goodman (born 1962), American astrophysicist
Eva Grebel, German astronomer studying stellar populations and galaxy formation
Lucie Green (born c. 1975), English science communicator and solar researcher
Jenny Greene (born 1978), American astrophysicist and teacher studying supermassive black holes and galaxies
Ruth Grützbauch (born 1978), Austrian astronomer

H

Margherita Hack, Italian astrophysicist and first female director of Trieste's Observatory
Erika Hamden, American astrophysicist and instructor
Heidi Hammel (born 1960), American planetary scientist
Fiona A. Harrison, American astrophysicist
Marjorie Hall Harrison (1918–1986), English-born American astronomer
Lisa Harvey-Smith (born 1979), British-Australian astrophysicist
Margaret Harwood (1885–1979), American astronomer
Martha P. Haynes (born 1951), American astronomer specialized in radio astronomy and extragalactic astronomy
Martha Locke Hazen (1931-2006), American astronomer
E. Ruth Hedeman (1910–2006), American solar astronomer
Mary Lea Heger (1897–1983), American astronomer who studied the interstellar medium
Charlene Heisler (1961-1999), Canadian astronomer
Eleanor F. Helin (1932–2009), American astronomer who studied near–Earth asteroids
Amina Helmi, Argentine astronomer
Amanda Hendrix (born 1968), American planetary scientist
Caroline Herschel (1750–1848), German astronomer
Elisabeth Hevelius (1647–1693), Polish astronomer
Jacqueline Hewitt (born 1958), American astrophysicist
Catherine Heymans, British astrophysicist and instructor
Renée Hložek, South African cosmologist
Dorrit Hoffleit (1907–2007), American astronomer
Helen Sawyer Hogg (1905–1993), American-Canadian astronomer
Ann Hornschemeier, American astronomer studying X-ray astronomy
Joan Horvath, American aeronautical engineer and writer
Nancy Houk, American astronomer
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld (1921–2015), Dutch astronomer studying minor planets
Margaret Lindsay Huggins (1848–1915), Irish-English scientific investigator and astronomer
Carolyn Hurless (1934-1987), American astronomer and an American Association of Variable Star Observers merit award winner.
Hypatia (c. 350–370 to 415), Hellenistic Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician

I

Violeta G. Ivanova, Bulgarian astronomer
Al-ʻIjliyyah (c. 10th-century), Arab maker of astrolabes

J

Odette Jasse (1899–1949), French astronomer at Marseille Observatory.
Louise Freeland Jenkins (1888–1970), American astronomer of stellar astronomy
Carole Jordan (born 1941), English physicist, astrophysicist, astronomer and academic

K

Vicky Kalogera, Greek astrophysicist
Lyudmila Karachkina (born 1948), Russian astronomer studying astrometry and minor planets
Victoria Kaspi (born 1967), American-Canadian astrophysicist and instructor
Lisa Kewley (born 1974), Australian astronomer studying galactic evolution
Pamela M. Kilmartin, New Zealand astronomer searching for comets and minor planets
Maria Margarethe Kirch (1670–1720), German astronomer and calendar maker
Margaret G. Kivelson (born 1928), American planetary scientist
Dorothea Klumpke (1861–1942), American astronomer
Gillian R. Knapp, American astronomer
Kirsten Kraiberg Knudsen, Danish astronomer studying galaxies
Heather A. Knutson, American astronomer studying exoplanets
Gloria Koenigsberger, Mexican astrophysicist and instructor
Bärbel Koribalski, German astrophysicist studying galaxy formation and evolution
Lenka Kotková (born 1973), Czech astronomer
Chryssa Kouveliotou, Greek astrophysicist and instructor
Reiki Kushida, Japanese amateur astronomer

L

Elizabeth Lada, American astronomer and instructor
Eleanor Annie Lamson (1875-1932), American astronomer
Marguerite Laugier, French astronomer who discovered minor planets
Gemma Lavender (born 1986), British astronomer, author and journalist
Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868–1921), American astronomer who observed variable stars
Nicole-Reine Lepaute (1723–1788), French astronomer and mathematician
Isabel Martin Lewis (1881–1966), American astronomer and author
Nikole Lewis, American astrophysicist
Helen Lines (died 2001), American amateur astronomer
Sarah Lee Lippincott (1920–2019), American astronomer and instructor who focused on astrometry
Jane Luu (born 1963), Vietnamese–American astronomer and defense systems engineer

M

Amy Mainzer (born 1974), American astronomer specializing in astrophysical instrumentation and infrared astronomy
Esmeralda Mallada (born 1937), Uruguayan astronomer and instructor
Rachel Mandelbaum, American astronomer
Karen Masters (born 1979), American astrophysicist studying galaxy formation and evolution
Janet Akyüz Mattei (1943–2004), Turkish-American astronomer studying variable stars
Annie Russell Maunder (1868–1947), Irish-British astronomer
Antonia Maury (1866–1952), American astronomer studying stellar astronomy
Claire Ellen Max (born 1946), American astronomer and instructor
Margaret Mayall (1902–1995), American astronomer studying variable stars
Jaylee Burley Mead (1929–2012), American astronomer
Karen Jean Meech (born 1959), American planetary scientist
Maria Mitchell (1818–1889), American astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator
Linda A. Morabito (born 1953), American planetary scientist
Jean Mueller (born 1950), American astronomer
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, Turkish astrophysicist

N

Sultana N. Nahar, Bangladeshi-American physicist studying atomic processes in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas
Joan Najita, American astronomer researching the formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems
Yaël Nazé, Belgian astrophysicist studying massive stars and their environmental interaction
Heidi Jo Newberg, American astrophysicist studying the Milky Way structure

O

Carolina Ödman-Govender, (1974–2022), Swiss astrophysicist and lecturer
Sally Oey, American astronomer researching massive stars
Kathleen Ollerenshaw, (1912–2014), English mathematician, politician, and amateur astronomer
C. Michelle Olmstead, American astronomer and computer scientist who has discovered minor planets
Liisi Oterma (1915–2001), Finnish astronomer
Mazlan Othman, Malaysian astrophysicist
Feryal Özel (born 1975), Turkish astrophysicist studying stellar remnants

P

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900–1979), British-born American astrophysicist and instructor
Ruby Payne-Scott (1912–1981), Australian radio astronomer
Louise du Pierry (1746–1807), French astronomer and instructor
Carle Pieters (born 1943), American planetary scientist
Thushara Pillai, (born 1980), Indian astrophysicist and astronomer
Paris Pişmiş (1911–1999), Armenian-Mexican astronomer
Elena V. Pitjeva, Russian astronomer studying solar system dynamics and celestial mechanics
Carolyn Porco (born 1953), American planetary scientist
Helen Dodson Prince (1905–2002), American astronomer and instructor
Mary Proctor (1862–1957), American popularizer of astronomy

Q

Elisa Quintana, American planetary scientist

R

Hilkka Rantaseppä-Helenius, Finnish astronomer who studied minor planets
Katharine Reeves, American solar astronomer
Emily Rice, American astronomer researching sub-stellar objects including brown dwarfs
Christina Richey, American planetary scientist and astrophysicist
Julia Riley, English radio astronomer
Constance M. Rockosi, American galactic astronomer
Elizabeth Roemer (1929–2016), American astronomer who studied minor planets
Nancy Roman (1925–2018), American stellar astronomer
Marta Graciela Rovira, Argentinian astrophysicist
Vera Rubin (1928–2016), American astronomer researching extragalactic astronomy
María Teresa Ruiz, Chilean astronomer

S

Penny Sackett (born 1956), American-born Australian astronomer, educator, and manager
Rita M. Sambruna, Italian-American astrophysicist studying supermassive black holes and jets
Anneila Sargent (born 1942), Scottish–American astronomer specialized in star formation
Ann Savage (1946–2017), British astronomer
Caterina Scarpellini (1808–1873), Italian astronomer and meteorologist
Sara Seager (born 1971), Canadian-American astronomer and planetary scientist
Waltraut Seitter (1930–2007), German astronomer and instructor
Muriel Mussells Seyfert (1909–1997), American astronomer
Pelageya Shajn (1894–1956), Russian astronomer searching for minor planets
Aomawa Shields, American astrophysicist and professor researching exoplanets
Carolyn S. Shoemaker (born 1929), American astronomer
Amy Simon, American planetary scientist
Charlotte Moore Sitterly (1898–1990), American astronomer who studied stellar physics
Tamara Mikhaylovna Smirnova (1935–2001), Russian astronomer who searched for minor planets and comets
Alicia M. Soderberg (born 1977), American astrophysicist and instructor focused on supernovae
Mary Somerville (1780–1872), Scottish scientist, writer, and polymath
Linda Spilker, American planetary scientist
Denise Stephens, American astronomer and instructor
Sarah Stewart-Mukhopadhyay, American planetary scientist
Annapurni Subramaniam, director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics
Karlina Leksono Supelli (born 1958), Indonesian philosopher and astronomer
Jean Swank, American astrophysicist studying compact objects
Henrietta Hill Swope (1902–1980), American astronomer who studied variable stars
Nadezhda Sytinskaya (1906-1974), Soviet astronomer and planetary scientist
Paula Szkody (born 1948), American astronomer and instructor specialized in cataclysmic variable stars

T

Jill Tarter (born 1944), American astronomer focused on SETI
Florence Taylor Hildred (1865–1932), English astronomer and pastor
Alenush Terian (1921–2011), Iranian-Armenian astronomer
Michelle Thaller (born 1969), American astronomer and educator
Jana Tichá (born 1965), Czech astronomer searching for minor planets
Beatrice Tinsley (1941–1981), British-born New Zealand astronomer studying galactic evolution
Maura Tombelli (born 1952), Italian amateur astronomer
Christy A. Tremonti, American astronomer
Virginia Louise Trimble (born 1943), American astronomer
Lidiya Tseraskaya (1855–1931), Russian astronomer
Margaret Turnbull (born 1975), American astronomer and astrobiologist

U

Anne Barbara Underhill (1920–2003), Canadian astrophysicist who studied massive stars
Meg Urry, American astrophysicist studying supermassive black holes and galaxies

V

Bobbie Vaile (1959–1996), Australian astrophysicist and lecturer
Zdeňka Vávrová (born 1945), Czech astronomer
Faith Vilas, American planetary scientist
Julie Vinter Hansen (1890–1960), Danish astronomer
Emma Vyssotsky (1894–1975), American astronomer who studied astrometry

W

Lucianne Walkowicz (born 1979), American astronomer
Wang Zhenyi (1768–1797), Chinese astronomer, mathematician, and poet
Kim Weaver (born 1964), American astrophysicist and instructor focused on X-ray astronomy
Alycia J. Weinberger, American astronomer studying planetary formation
Mareta West (1915–1998), American astrogeologist
Sarah Frances Whiting (1847–1927), American physicist, astronomer, and instructor
Mary Watson Whitney (1847–1921), American astronomer and teacher
Belinda Wilkes, English astrophysicist
Beth Willman, American cosmologist
Lee Anne Willson (born 1947), American astronomer
Anna Winlock (1857–1904), American astronomer
Jennifer Wiseman, American astrophysicist
Rosemary Wyse (born 1957), Scottish astrophysicist and instructor
Frances Woodworth Wright (1897–1989), American astronomer and educator
Gillian Wright, Scottish astronomer
Barbara A. Williams, American radio astronomer

Y

Ye Shuhua (born 1927), Chinese astronomer and instructor
Anne Sewell Young (1871–1961), American astronomer who studied variable stars
Judith Young (1952–2014), American physicist, astronomer, and educator
Louise Gray Young (1935-2018), American astronomer and researcher

Z

Magdalena Zeger (around 1491–1568), calendar maker, astronomer, first women to publish independently in the field of astronomy
Lyudmila Zhuravlyova (born 1946), Russian-Ukrainian astronomer who discovered minor planets
Maria Zuber (born 1958), American planetary scientist

External links

More information on women astronomers

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

See also

External links