The Sky Is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words

by Virginia Trimble (Editor), David A. Weintraub (Editor)

An inspiring anthology of writings by trailblazing women astronomers from around the globe

The Sky Is for Everyone is an internationally diverse collection of autobiographical essays by women who broke down barriers and changed the face of modern astronomy. Virginia Trimble and David Weintraub vividly describe how, before 1900, a woman who wanted to study the stars had to have a father, brother, or husband to provide entry, and how the considerable intellectual skills of women astronomers were still not enough to enable them to pry open doors of opportunity for much of the twentieth century. After decades of difficult struggles, women are closer to equality in astronomy than ever before. Trimble and Weintraub bring together the stories of the tough and determined women who flung the doors wide open. Taking readers from 1960 to today, this triumphant anthology serves as an inspiration to current and future generations of women scientists while giving voice to the history of a transformative era in astronomy.

With contributions by Neta A. Bahcall, Beatriz Barbuy, Ann Merchant Boesgaard, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Catherine Cesarsky, Poonam Chandra, Xuefei Chen, Cathie Clarke, Judith Gamora Cohen, France Anne Córdova, Anne Pyne Cowley, Bożena Czerny, Wendy L. Freedman, Yilen Gómez Maqueo Chew, Gabriela González, Saeko S. Hayashi, Martha P. Haynes, Roberta M. Humphreys, Vicky Kalogera, Gillian Knapp, Shazrene S. Mohamed, Carole Mundell, Priyamvada Natarajan, Dara J. Norman, Hiranya Peiris, Judith Lynn Pipher, Dina Prialnik, Anneila I. Sargent, Sara Seager, Gražina Tautvaišienė, Silvia Torres-Peimbert, Virginia Trimble, Meg Urry, Ewine F. van Dishoeck, Patricia Ann Whitelock, Sidney Wolff, and Rosemary F. G. Wyse.

Genres: Science, Womens, Astronomy, Nonfiction, Space, Feminism, History

504 pages, Hardcover

Published June 21, 2022

Reviews

[Bryce-Jayne Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this would have been a lot more engaging if I were more familiar with astronomy. There were many interesting stories, and I came a way with a deeper appreciation for the women who have sacrificed so much to open the path for women to enter the world of science.

[Peter Schoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of us who teach Physics and Astronomy, and encourage our female students to excel and remain studying those areas, it is sobering to read the accounts of these female Astronomers and Astrophysicists. It is all too easy to become complacent and believe that we have "solved the gender problem," when in reality it persists in so many more insidious forms. Without the contributions of the women detailed in these pages, and countless others, our understanding of the universe would be much diminished.

From a literary perspective, the best part is that each biographical snapshot is short and uniquely written making the whole seem like an anthology of short stories. Short stories that should be read by a much broader audience than the Physics, Astronomy, and Astrophysics community.

[CatReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of autobiographical essays by female astronomers, though listening to this book continuously in audiobook form probably isn't the best way to digest all this information. I found the stories inspiring and relatable as a fellow woman in science who's faced gender discrimination. In addition to the individual vignettes and the historical summary of female astronomers prior to the recorded histories in this volume, it would have been interesting to include some historical data on the percentage of awarded PhDs, grant funding through major organizations like the NSF, faculty positions, etc. to female and nonbinary astronomers, as ways to further measure progress going forward.

[Angela Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I’d had this book in the 90s. I might have stuck with my physics major, instead of letting myself be made to feel insecure enough that I switched back to biology, where there were more women. If only I could go back and tell that girl what imposter syndrome is, and how she didn’t win awards “by accident,” and that this universe of possibilities existed. I hope more young women and people of color read this book and become inspired to pursue a career in physics.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book full of fascinating stories, insights, data, revelations. But, I have to admit, stacked individual accounts/essays/memoirs are rather off putting as a whole. So I dipped and sipped and didnt read every word.

[Nicole Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the inspiring life stories of women in this book.