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Women Who Help Us Understand the Universe: From Astronomy Pioneers to DAS Leaders
Every March, people around the world celebrate **Women’s History Month** , a time to recognize the achievements of women in science, education, government, and many other fields. Astronomy is no exception. For centuries, women have helped us understand the universe—studying the stars, measuring galaxies, and even calculating the paths that allow spacecraft to travel beyond Earth. Their discoveries changed the way we see the stars, galaxies, and even the entire cosmos. Here are just a few of the women whose work helped shape modern astronomy.
For more than two centuries, women have helped shape our understanding of the universe. From early sky observers in the 1700s to the astronomers who revealed what stars are made of, their discoveries changed the way we see the cosmos. Others helped make space exploration possible by calculating the paths that carried astronauts beyond Earth. Today, that spirit of curiosity and discovery continues through scientists, educators, and volunteers—including many women who help lead and support the **Denver Astronomical Society**.
## Caroline Herschel: The First Professional Woman Astronomer
Caroline Herschel – March 16, 1750 to January 9. 1848
In the late 1700s, **Caroline Herschel** became one of the first women to earn recognition as a professional astronomer. Working alongside her brother **William Herschel** , she helped survey the night sky and catalog thousands of stars and nebulae. But she was also a skilled observer in her own right. Caroline discovered **eight comets** , becoming the first woman known to discover a comet. In 1787, the King of England even paid her a salary for her work—making her one of the first professional female scientists.
## Annie Jump Cannon: The Woman Who Classified the Stars
Annie Jump Cannon – December 11, 1863 to April 13, 1941
**Annie Jump Cannon** helped create the system astronomers still use today to classify stars. Working at the **Harvard College Observatory** , Cannon examined hundreds of thousands of stellar spectra. She developed the **O-B-A-F-G-K-M** classification system, which organizes stars by temperature and color. If you’ve ever heard the phrase **“Oh Be A Fine Girl/Guy, Kiss Me,”** you’ve heard the famous mnemonic astronomers use to remember Cannon’s system. By the end of her career, she had classified **more than 350,000 stars** , making her one of the most influential astronomers of the 20th century.
## Henrietta Swan Leavitt: Measuring the Universe
Henrietta Swan Leavitt – July 4, 1868 to December 12, 1921
At the **Harvard College Observatory** , **Henrietta Swan Leavitt** worked as one of the “Harvard Computers,” a group of women who carefully studied photographic plates of the night sky. Leavitt made a breakthrough discovery while studying a special type of star called a **Cepheid variable**. She found that the brightness of these stars is directly related to how quickly they change brightness. This discovery gave astronomers a powerful tool to measure distances in space. It later helped scientists like **Edwin Hubble** show that galaxies exist far beyond the Milky Way—and that the universe is expanding.
## Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: What Stars Are Made Of
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin – May 10, 1900 to December 7, 1979
In 1925, **Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin** made one of the most important discoveries in astrophysics. By studying the light from stars, she showed that stars are made mostly of **hydrogen and helium**. At the time, many scientists believed stars had a composition similar to Earth. Her doctoral thesis is often called **one of the most important PhD dissertations in astronomy**. Years later, she became the first woman to serve as a full professor of astronomy at **Harvard University**.
## Katherine Johnson: The Mathematics Behind Spaceflight
Creola Katherine Johnson – August 26, 1918 to February 24, 2020
**Katherine Johnson** may not have studied distant galaxies, but her work helped humanity travel beyond Earth. As a mathematician at **NASA** , Johnson calculated the flight paths, launch windows, and reentry trajectories that made early space missions possible. Her work was so trusted that astronaut **John Glenn** asked her to personally verify the computer calculations before his historic 1962 orbital flight aboard **Friendship 7**. Johnson’s calculations helped pave the way for later missions, including the **Apollo 11** journey to the Moon. Her story—and the work of other women mathematicians at NASA—became widely known through the film **Hidden Figures**.
Many early breakthroughs came from women working at the Harvard College Observatory as part of a group known as the “Harvard Computers,” who carefully analyzed photographic plates and cataloged the stars.
## Vera Rubin: The Mystery of Dark Matter
Vera Florence Cooper Rubin – July 23, 1928 to December 25, 2016
In the 1970s, **Vera Rubin** studied how galaxies rotate. What she found was surprising. Stars far from the center of galaxies were moving **much faster than expected**. The visible matter in galaxies could not explain their motion. Rubin’s work provided some of the strongest evidence for **Dark Matter** , an invisible form of matter that makes up most of the universe’s mass. Today, dark matter remains one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy.
## Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Discovering Pulsars
Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell born July 15, 1943
In 1967, graduate student **Jocelyn Bell Burnell** discovered a mysterious repeating signal while analyzing radio telescope data. At first, the signal was so unusual that astronomers jokingly labeled it **“LGM-1,”** short for _Little Green Men_. But Bell Burnell eventually showed that the signal came from a rapidly rotating neutron star. These objects are now known as **Pulsars** —some of the most extreme objects in the universe. Pulsars have since become powerful tools for studying gravity, neutron stars, and even detecting gravitational waves.
These pioneers helped shape our understanding of the universe. Their work laid the foundation for modern astronomy, astrophysics, and space exploration.
## Modern Voices in Astronomy
Katie Mack, Becky Smethurst, and Lisa Harvey-Smith
Today, many women continue to advance astronomy research while also helping the public understand new discoveries about the universe. Scientists such as **Katie Mack** , **Becky Smethurst** , and **Lisa Harvey-Smith** study topics ranging from the fate of the universe to the evolution of galaxies. Through research, books, lectures, and educational media, they help make complex ideas in astronomy accessible to people everywhere.Their work shows that the tradition of women contributing to astronomy—both through discovery and public education—continues to grow.
## Women Helping Lead Astronomy at DAS
DAS President, Katherine Bond receives a standing ovation at the DAS 2026 Spring Banquet
The legacy of these pioneers continues today. Across the world—and here in Colorado—women are helping lead research, education, and public outreach that inspires people to explore the night sky. That tradition is alive and well at the **Denver Astronomical Society** , where women serve in many leadership roles and help guide the society’s programs, outreach events, and observing opportunities. In 2026, several women hold key leadership positions at DAS:
**Katherine Bond** , President
**July Candia** , Vice President
**Mia Kuchner** , Trustee
**Maria Schanhals** , Trustee
**Pavlina Karafilis** , Trustee and In-reach Coordinator
**Dr. Jennifer Hoffman** , Director of the Chamberlin Observatory
Women are also among the many volunteers recognized for their dedication to the society. At the 2026 DAS Spring Banquet and Awards Ceremony, several women received **Awards for Exceptional Service** :
Pavlina Karafillis is presented the Outstanding Support of the In-Reach Program Award by DAS President, Katherine Bond
**Eileen Barela**
**July Candia**
**Dena McClung**
**Pam Morrow**
**Pavlina Karafilis**
Their leadership and dedication—along with the work of many other volunteers—help make DAS outreach programs, star parties, and educational events possible throughout the year.
## Keep Looking Up
The history of astronomy is filled with remarkable discoveries, but it is also a story about people who followed their curiosity and helped humanity better understand the universe. During Women’s History Month, it’s worth remembering that many of those discoveries came from women who overcame obstacles to study the stars—and whose work continues to inspire new generations of astronomers. Whether through professional research, citizen science projects, or local astronomy clubs like DAS, women continue to play an important role in exploring and sharing the wonders of the night sky.
Clear skies and happy Women’s History Month!
Women Who Help Us Understand the Universe: From Astronomy Pioneers to DAS Leaders Every March, people around the world celebrate Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the achievements of wom...
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