| Name/(Dates)/Country |
Biography |
Aganike (Aganice)
(c.1900 BCE)
Egyptian
Astrologer | Daughter of King Sesostris. Studied globes and constellations in order to predict future events. |
Aglaonike (Aglaonice)
(c. 200 BCE)
Greek
Positional Astronomer | Daughter of Hegetoris of Thessaly. She was knowledgable of the 18+ year lunar cycle (saros) and predicted the occurrances of eclipses. |
Agnesi, Maria Gaetana
(1718-1799)
Italian
Mathematician | Along with many mathematical and other scientific publications, Maria contributed works on celestial mechanics and universal gravitation. |
Aksentyeva, Zinaida Nikolayevna
(1900-1969)
Ukrainian
Astronomer/Geophysicist | Graduated Odessa University 1924. Employed by Poltava Observatory where she eventually became director in 1951. Her areas of study dealt with tidal deformation of the earth and gravimetric Earth profiles. |
Albertson, Mary
(18??-1914)
American
| - |
Ames, Adelaide
(18??-1932)
American
Astronomer/Researcher | Worked for Harvard Observatory under Harlow Shapley from 1923-1932. Published a comprehensive catalog of 2778 nebulae of the Coma Berenices-Virgo region, as well as one of 1025 extragalactic objects brighter than 13th magnitude. |
Ashley, Mary
(c. 1880 )
British
Astronomer | - |
Bacon, Gertrude
(c. 1900 )
American
| - |
Bardwell, Elizabeth M.
(183?-1899)
American
| - |
Bardwell, Elizabeth M.
(c. 1885-90)
American
| - |
Barney, Ida
(1888-1952+)
American
| - |
Baynard, Anne
(1672-1697)
British
| - |
Behn, Aphra
(1640-1689)
British
| - |
Bigelow, Harriet W.
(1870-1934)
American
| - |
Blagg, Mary Adela
(1858-1944)
British
| - |
Bloch, Marie
(1902-1979)
| - |
Bobinski, Countess N.
(c. 1891 )
Russian
| - |
Bouvier, Hannah Mary (Peterson)
(1811-1870)
American
Author/Popularizer | Born in Philadelphia. Daughter of John Bouvier. Wife of Publisher Robert Evans Peterson. She authored and published two very popular texts: "Familiar Science" in 1850, and "Bouvier's Familiar Astronomy" in 1856. Offering favorable letters of commendation for the latter were: G.B. Airy, J.F.W. Herschel, M.F. Maury, W.C. Bond, B.A. Gould, D. Olmsted and many others. |
Bowen, Eliza Andrews
(1828-1898)
American
Author/Educator | Born in Columbia County, Georgia to Dr. Isaac and Sara Bowen. She published many astronomy articles in "Popular Science Monthly" as well as other magazines and newspapers. In 1886, she published "Astronomy by Observation: An Elementary Text-Book for High-Schools and Academies", a profusely illustrated hands-on astronomy text, one of the first to encourage independent observation by the student. |
Brahe, Sophia
(1556-1643)
Danish
| - |
Brashear, Phoebe Stewart
(1843-1910)
American
| - |
Brown, Elizabeth
(18??-1899)
British
| - |
Bruce, Catherine Wolfe
(1816-1900)
American
| - |
Bryan, Margaret
(1770?-1816+)
British
Educator/Author | Ran a boarding school and seminary for girls at Blackheath, England. In August, 1797, she published her lecture notes, in book form, as "A Compendious System of Astronomy". The popularity of her first work encouraged her to publish "Lectures on Natural Philosophy" in 1806, and later that same year "An Astronomical and Geographical Class Book for Schools". |
Byrd, Mary Emma
(1849-1934)
American
Educator/Author | Daughter of Elizabeth Byrd. Grew up in Kansas. B.A. University of Michigan 1878. Ph.D. in Astronomy from Carleton College in 1904. Her greatest contribution was her hands-on approach for teaching astronomy as a laboratory science. Director for 19 years at Smith College Observatory. In 1899 she published her well received "A Laboratory Manual in Astronomy". Published many astronomy articles in science and popular journals. |
Calvert, Mary R.
(c. 1937 )
American
| - |
Cameron, Winifred Sawtell
(1918-19??)
American
| - |
Cannon, Annie Jump
(1863-1941)
American
| - |
Carpenter, Hazel Burton
( -1931)
American
| - |
Carter, Elizabeth
(1717-1806)
British
| - |
Chatelet, Gabrielle Emilie du
(1706-1749)
French
| - |
Clerke, Agnes Mary
(1842-1907)
Irish/British
| - |
Clerke, Ellen Mary
(1840-1906)
Irish/British
| - |
Comnena, Anna
(1083-1148)
Byzantine
| - |
Cook, A. Grace
(c. 1920 )
American
| - |
Cunitz, Maria von Lewen
(1610-1664)
German
| - |
Cunningham, Susan J.
(1842-1921)
American
| - |
Cushman, Florence
(1860-1940)
American
| - |
Davis, Elizabeth Brown
(c. 1888 )
American
Mathematician/Computer | Born in Front Royal, Virginia. Graduated with a B.S. from Columbia University (George Washington) in Washington, D.C. Did post-graduate work at Johns Hopkins University in mathematics by special permission of the faculty through Prof. Simon Newcomb. Assisted in the preparation of Newcomb's Tables of the Sun and Planets, and worked on comet orbits, and other projects for the Naval Observatory. |
Douglas, Alice Vibert
(1895-1988)
Canadian
| - |
Draper, Mary Anna Palmer
(1839-1914)
American
| - |
Dudley, Blandina Bleecker
(1783-1863)
American
Benefactor | Wife of Charles Dudley, U.S. Senator from New York. Donated the majority of funds to establish and construct the Dudley Observatory (named for her husband, an amateur astronomer). The original building was built in 1852 in Albany N.Y., but was re-established outside Albany in 1892. In 1863, her will provided $30,000 for a "Blandina Professorship" at the observatory. |
Dumee, Jeanne
(16??-1706)
French
| - |
Eaton, Etta Maine
(1869-1915)
American
Mathematician/Computer | Daughter of Laura and Joseph Eaton. Received her B.A. from Mt. Holyoke in 1889. In 1900 she became one of the first female computers for the Naval Observatory. Worked on the elements and ephemeris for comets and published results in the Astronomical Journal. |
Edwin, Catherine
(c. 1727? )
British
| - |
En Hedu'Anna
(c. 2354 BCE)
Babylon
| - |
Eudocia
(396-460 )
Greek/Roman
| - |
Everett, Alice
( - )
| - |
Evershead, Mary Acworth Orr
(1867-1949)
British
| - |
Fallows, Mary Ann Hewey
(1789-1831)
British
| - |
Farnsworth, Alice Hall
(c. 1920 )
American
| - |
Faye,
( )
| - |
Flammarion, Sylvie Pétiaux-Hugo Mathieu
(1837-1919)
French
| - |
Fleming, Williamina Patton Stevens
(1857-1911)
Scotish/American
| - |
Fowler, Lydia Folger
(1822-1879)
American
| - |
Furness, Caroline Ellen
(1869-1936)
American
| - |
Galilei, Polissena
(1601-1634)
Italian
| - |
Gaposchkin, Cecilia Helena Payne
(1900-1979)
British/American
| - |
Germain, Marie-Sophie
(1776-1831)
French
| - |
Gilberne, Agnes
(c. 1890 )
American
| - |
Gill, Jocelyn Ruth
(1916-1984)
American
| - |
Gillespie, Elizabeth H.
( -1935)
American
| - |
Glancy, Anna Estelle
(c. 1913 )
American
| - |
Gotha, Douchess Louise of
(c. 1798 )
German
| - |
Gray, Alice Mabel (Wilson)
(1881-1925)
American
Mathematician/Computer | Received her degree in mathematics at the University of Chicago Phi Beta Kappa in 1903. She made contribuitions to the Naval Observatory's meridian calculations and to ephemeride publishing. She continued her studies at Gottingen University in Germany. |
Gushee, Vera Marie
(1894-1937)
American
Computer/Educator | Born in Cincinnatus, New York. Received her B.A. from Smith College in 1916 and her M.S. from Chicago in 1917. Employed as a computer at both the Yerkes and the Naval Observatories. She was later involved in astronomy education at a number of schools including Northwestern, Ohio State, Bryn Mawr, Harvard and Teachers College Columbia. She also contributed observations to the AAVSO. |
Haas, Phoebe Waterman
(1882-1967)
American
| - |
Hall, Chloe Angeline Stickney
(1830-1892)
American
Mathematician | Born in Rodman, NY to Theophilus and Electra Stickney. B.A. in Mathematics from New York Central College (Cornell). Married Asaph Hall who earlier had been her math student. She assisted her husband in his astronomical calculations and was responsible for her husbands promotion to professor, as well as instrumental in his discovery of the moons of Mars, Demios and Phobos. |
Hansen, Julie M. Vinter
( -1960)
Danish
| - |
Harpham, Flora E.
(c. 1896 )
American
| - |
Harwood, Margaret
(1885- )
American
| - |
Hawker, Julia M.
(c. 1916 )
American
| - |
Hayes, Ellen Amanda
(1851-1930)
American
| - |
Hedrick, Hannah Francer Mace
(1870-1948+)
American
Mathematician | Born in Walton, New York. She graduated from Vassar College with honors in 1890 (student of Maria Mitchell). Yale University graduate school was Phi Beta Kappa and Qui Vive scholar in mathematics. Member of the Nautical Almanac Office 1894 - 1932+. Married astronomer Henry Benjamin Hedrick. Contributed her mathematical skills towards astronomical work at the Naval Observatory. |
Herschel, Caroline Lucretia
(1750-1848)
German/British
| - |
Hevelius, Catherina Elizabetha Koopman
(1647-1697+)
German/Poland
| - |
Hobe, Adelaide M.
( -1938)
American
| - |
Hoffleit, Ellen Dorrit
(1907-19??)
American
| - |
Hogg, Helen Battles Sawyer
(1905-1993)
American/Canadian
| - |
Howe, M.
(c. 1922 )
American
| - |
Huggins, Lady Margaret Murray Lindsay
(1848-1915)
Irish/British
| - |
Hypatia of Alexandria
(370-415 )
Egypt/Greek
| - |
Iwanowska, Wilhelmina
(1905-19??)
Polish
| - |
Jansen,
( )
| - |
Karpov, Rebecca Jones
(19??-1966)
| - |
Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, Yelena Ivanovna
(1902-1968+)
Russian
| - |
Kent, Elizabeth Isis Pogson
(c. 1800s )
British
| - |
Kirch, Christine
(1696-1782)
German
| - |
Kirch, Maria Margarethe Winkelmann
(1670-1720)
German
| - |
Kovalevsky, Sonia Vasilyevna
(1850-1891)
Russian/Swedish
| - |
Lamson, Eleanor Annie
(1875-1932)
American
Astronomer | Born in Washington, D.C. Attended George Washington University: B.S. in 1897, and M.S. in 1899. Her masters thesis was on the geocentric and heliocentric positions of the planets. Came to the Naval Obs. in 1900 as a computer. Eventually became Supervisor of The Computing Bureau and later Associate Astronomer. Contributed many technical papers in Astronomische Nachrichten, Popular Astronomy, and The Astronomical Journal, dealing with comet, asteroid, and planetary orbits as well as corrections to the constant of nutation. |
Leavitt, Henrietta Swan
(1868-1921)
American
| - |
Leland, E. F.
(c. 1896 )
American
| - |
Lelande, Marie-Jeanne Amelie Harlay Lefrancais de
(1768-1832)
French
| - |
Lepaute, Nicole-Reine Etable de la Briere
(1723-1788)
French
| - |
Lewis, Florence Parthenia
(1880-1964)
American
| - |
Lewis, Isabel Martin
(1881-1955+)
American
Astronomer/Author | A native of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Isabel received her B.A. from Cornell in 1903 and an M.A. in 1905 specializing in mathematics. Hired originally as a computer at the Naval Observatory, she later became the first woman hired there as an assistant astronomer, and later astronomer. Married astronomer Clifford Lewis. Published three books at the popular level: "Splendors of the Sky", 1919; "Astronomy for Young Folks", 1922; and "A Hand Book Of Solar Eclipses", 1924. Solar eclipses were her passion. |
Mace, Hannah
( )
American
| - |
Mack, I. G.
(c. 1885 )
| - |
Makemson, Maud Worcester
(1891-19??)
| - |
Marcet, Jane Haldimand
(1769-1858)
Swiss/British
Author/Popularizer | Born in geneva to Anthony and Jane Haldimand. Husband was Alexander Marcet. In 1806 she published "Conversations on Chemistry". In 1819 Jane published "Conversations on Natural Philosophy", a physics book of which two-thirds of the text actually deals with astronomy and related topics. She authored many other popular books right up until her death. |
Martin, Martha Evans
(1856-1925)
American
Author/Popularizer | Born in Terre Haute, Indiana. Daughter of John and Margaret Evans. Wife of Edwin Martin. Involved in publishing business with her husband. Wrote "The Friendly Stars", 1907, and "The Ways of the Planets", 1912. Both were popular and influencial to young readers. |
Maunder, Annie Scott Dill Russell
(1868-1947)
Irish/British
| - |
Maury, Antonia Caetana
(1866-1952)
American
| - |
Mayall, Margaret Walton
(1902-19??)
American
| - |
Medici, Catherine de
(1519-1589)
Italian/French
| - |
Mitchell, Maria
(1818-1889)
American
| - |
Molza, Tarquinia
(1542-1617)
Italian
| - |
Morrison, May Treat
(18??-1939)
American
| - |
Müller, Maria Clara Eimmart
(1676-1707)
German
| - |
O'Halloran
(c. 1905 )
American
| - |
Palmer, Margaretta
(1862-1924)
American
| - |
Palmer, Margaretta
(1862-1924)
American
| - |
Parthenay, Catherine de
(c. 1500s )
French
| - |
Pierry, Mme. Louise
Elizabeth Felicite
Pourra de la Madeleine du
(1746-1789+)
French
| - |
Piscopia, Elena Cornaro
(1646-1684)
Italian
| - |
Pogson,
( )
| - |
Prince, Helen Walter Dodson
(1905-19??)
American
| - |
Proctor, Mary
(1862-1938+)
American/British
Author/Popularizer | Daughter of Mary and Richard Proctor. Her astronomical knowledge was acquired from her astronomer father. Wrote many popular books including: "Half-Hours with the Summer Stars"; "Stories of Starland"; "Wonders of the Sky"; "The Romance of Comets"; "Legends of the Sun and Moon"; "Legends of the Stars"; "Everyman’s Astronomy"; "Evenings with the Stars"; "Origins of Comets"; "Romance of the Sun"; "The Book of the Heavens", etc. Also contributed profusely to many newspapers and popular journals. |
Rieke, Carol Jane Anger
( )
American
| - |
Roberts, Dorothea Klumpke
(1861-1942)
American/French
| Born in San Francisco, CA. Daughter of John and Dorothea Klumpke. Attended public and private schools in SF and later France, Switzerland and Germany. Studied Astronomy and Mathematics at the Paris Observatory (first woman student admitted there) and at the Sorbonne (B.S. 1886, D.Sc. 1893). Appointed assistant at Paris Observatory in 1887. Appointed Director of Bureau of Measures (1891-1901). Initiated and directed the charting and cataloguing of all stars to 14th mag. Married astronomer Isaac Roberts 1901. Worked on the measurement of nebulae. Received the Cross of the Legion of Honor in 1934 for 48 years of service to French Astronomy. Died in San Francisco. |
Rümker, Mary Ann Crockford
(c. 1847 )
British/German
| - |
Sabliere, Marguerite Hessein de la
(1636-1693)
French
| - |
Samoylova-Yakhontova, Natalia Sergeyevna
(1896-1942+)
Russian
| - |
Scarpellini, Catherina
(1808-1872+)
Italian
| - |
Seyfert, Muriel Mussels
( )
American
| - |
Shane, Mary Lea Heger
(1897-1983)
American
| - |
Sheepshanks, Anne
(1789-1876)
British
| - |
Short, Jessie May
(c. 1914 )
| - |
Sitterly, Charlotte Emma Moore
(1898-1990)
American
| - |
Slocum, Lois Tripp
(1899-1952)
American
| - |
Slonim, Judith Moiseyevna
(1909-1966+)
| - |
Smith, Jane M.
(1832-1912)
American
| - |
Smith, Matilda
(18??-1910)
American
| - |
Somerville, Mary Fairfax Greig
(1780-1872)
Scotish/British
| - |
Sonduk
(c. 630 BCE)
China
| - |
Sophia, Queen of Hanover
(c. 1588 )
Danish
| - |
Steele, Hannah B.
(c. 1916 )
American
| - |
Swope, Henrietta Hill
(1902-1980)
American
| - |
Sytinskaya, Nadezhda Nikolayevna
(1906-1959+)
Russian
| - |
Taylor, Janet
(c. 1833-95)
British
| - |
Theano
(c. 500 BCE)
Greek
| - |
Thome, Frenchs
(18??-1916)
American
| - |
Todd, Mabel Loomis
(1856-1932)
American
Author/Popularizer | Daughter of astronomer Eban and Mary Loomis. Wife of astronomer David Todd. Contributed astronomy articles to many popular publications. In 1894 she published "Total Eclipses of the Sun". She also made contributions to her husband’s publications and was a public speaker on astronomy. |
Tseraski(Ceraski), Lydia Petrovna Shelekhovna
(1875-1923+)
Russian
Astronomer/Researcher | Born in Astrakhan. Graduated from the Teacher's Institute in Petersberg. Wife of astronomer V.K. Tseraski. Worked at the Moscow Observatory. Discovered 219 variable stars. |
Tyler, Lydia H.
(1806-1870)
American
Author/(Educator?) | Daughter of James and Parthenia Lathrop of Hartford, Connecticut. Husband was Charles Tyler. First American woman to publish an astronomy text: "A Treatise on Astronomy", a 288 page text for high-schools and academies in 1837. It was sold to New England and New York schools. |
Vivian, Roxana Hayward
(1871-19??)
American
| - |
Von Matt, Baroness Elizabeth
(17??-1814)
German
| - |
Voroshilova-Romanskaya, Sophia Vasilievna
(1886-1969)
Russian
| - |
Vyssotsky, Emma Williams
( )
American
| - |
Ward, Mary
(c. 1869 )
| - |
Ware, Louise
(1876-1953)
American
| - |
Weil, Mabel
(18??-1924)
American
| - |
Wells, Agnes Ermina
(1876-1959)
American
| - |
Wells, Louisa D.
(c. 1895 )
American
| - |
Whitin, Mrs.
(c. 1910 )
American
| - |
Whiting, Sarah Frenchs
(1847-1927)
American
| - |
Whitney, Mary Watson
(1847-1921)
American
| - |
Wickham, Evelyn
(c. 1916 )
American
| - |
Willard, Charlotte R.
(c. 1894 )
American
| - |
Wilson, Fiammetta Worthington
(1864-1920)
British
| - |
Wilson, Frances Seydel
(c. 1930 )
American
| - |
Winlock, Anna
(1857-1904)
American
| - |
Winthrop, Hannah Fayerweather Tolman
(c. 1756 )
American
| - |
Witte, Minna
(c. 1800 )
German
| - |
Witte, Wilhelmine Bottcher
(1777-1854)
German
| - |
Wright, Frances Woodworth
(1897-1989)
American
| - |
Wright, Helen
(1914- )
American
| - |
Wrinch, Dorothy
(c. 1800s )
British
| - |
Young, Annie Sewall
(1871-1961)
American
| - |
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