Women In Astronomy

Reading your science book or watching the news, it might begin to seem as though almost every scientist in the world is a man. That's a long way from the real truth. Women have been making huge contributions to science since the practice was first invented. In astronomy alone, there is a long history of women who have helped steer the course of history with important research and discoveries.

In 1992, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI for short), which runs the Hubble Telescope (along with lots of other important telescopes), held a conference on Women in Astronomy. The conference resulted in the Baltimore Charter (read the whole thing here: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/BaltoCharter.html), a group decision which says:

"Astronomy has a long and honorable tradition of participation by women, who have made many significant and highly creative contributions to the field. Approximately 15% of astronomers worldwide are women but there is wide geographical diversity, with some countries having none and others having more than 50%. This shows that scientific careers are strongly affected by social and cultural factors, and are not determined solely by ability."

Women are under-represented in astronomy, and that's a major loss for astronomy itself. By not cultivating more female astronomers, we're depriving ourselves of a huge chunk of the talent pool. The Baltimore Charter goes on to say:

"The search for excellence which unites all scientists can be maintained and enhanced by increasing the diversity of its practitioners. Great discoveries have always occurred in times of cross-cultural enrichment: along trade routes, in periods of geographical exploration, among immigrants and multinationals. The introduction of new approaches frequently results in new breakthroughs."

We designed this site as a place that hopeful young astronomers could come to for inspiration and role models. It's not just for girls, because there's plenty young men can do to support their female peers. Though the site is geared towards the up-and-comers, we've been careful not to dilute or over-simplify the facts. It is a mounment to all female astonomers' achievements of the past as well as an update on their progress into the future. Never underestimate the infinte potential of the human mind, even in the face of a thousand years of adverisity.