Plakha Alexander with Sky Watcher telescope

Astronomers Worth Noting

Wartime Skygazing: An Amateur Astronomer in Ukraine

Plakha Alexander — amateur astronomer, owner of Astro-Gadget.net, and Ukrainian — shares his experiences since Russia's invasion began.

Astronomers Worth Noting

Tim Russ: Actor, Director, and Amateur Astronomer

Tim Russ is best known for his role as Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, but his affinity for space goes further than that — he's an amateur astronomer, too.

Waterfall nightscape by Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn

Astronomers Worth Noting

Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn: Meteorologist, Pilot, Astrophotographer

Meteorologist and pilot by day, astrophotographer by night: Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn shares her pursuit and passion for the hobby.

Astronomers Worth Noting

George Carruthers: Telescope Maker and Lunar Pioneer

Astronomer and engineer George Carruthers (1939–2020) designed and built the first observatory on another world.

Reflected starlight

Astronomers Worth Noting

Giorgia Hofer, Nightscape Astrophotographer

An Italian accountant, captivated by the sky since childhood, learned astrophotography to bring the heavens home with her.

Astronomers Worth Noting

Dara Norman, Astronomer and Astronomy-Enabler

After delving into the connection between quasars and gravitational lensing, Dara Norman pivoted to paving the way for astronomers to do the work they love.

Gibor Basri

Astronomers Worth Noting

Gibor Basri: Brown Dwarf Pioneer

The astronomer’s stellar studies led to the first confirmed discovery of a “failed star” and played a critical role in getting the Kepler Space Telescope off the ground.

Astronomers Worth Noting

Benjamin Banneker: Self-taught Astronomer

The story of astronomer and polymath Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806) is one of dignity and ingenuity against the backdrop of slavery and racism.

Margaret Burbidge

People, Places, and Events

Celebrating Astronomer Margaret Burbidge, 1919–2020

The astronomer who taught us we are all made of stardust has passed away after celebrating her 100th birthday on August 12, 2019.

Pulsar squiggle

Astronomers Worth Noting

Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Pulsar Pioneer

In 1967, astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell (1943–) discovered the first pulsars — cosmic lighthouses that now enable astrophysicists to probe extreme physics and test general relativity.

People, Places, and Events

Stephen Hawking, 1942–2018

Stephen Hawking, renowned physicist, famed science communicator, and all-around inspiration, has passed away at the age of 76.

Astronomers Worth Noting

Annie Jump Cannon: Star Classifier

Astronomer Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941) classified hundreds of thousands of stars and created the system we use to understand stars today.

Astronomers Worth Noting

Arthur B. C. Walker II: X-ray Astrophysicist

African American physicist, Arthur B.C. Walker Jr. (1936-2001), helped develop solar telescopes to image the Sun’s corona.

Astronomers Worth Noting

Vera Rubin: Dark Matter Detective

American astronomer Vera Rubin (1928 - ) measured how fast galaxies rotate, delivering decisive evidence for the existence of dark matter.

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