The Sky Is for Everyone

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.

"A communal love letter to astronomy and the broader sciences. . . . The Sky Is for Everyone is a valuable read for astronomers and those interested in the status of women in science, but also for department heads and policymakers who should take note of how institutional barriers can be broken down and accommodations made to improve the astronomy community."---Joanna Behrman, Physics Today

"[These autobiographical essays] provide a rich portrait of the experiences, ranging from triumphs to heartbreaks, that constitute the lives of women in contemporary astronomy. . . .They demonstrate that a rewarding career in astronomy is possible for anyone who gives it a try and succeeds at overcoming the many hurdles that confront us all regardless of gender."---David H. DeVorkin, Quest

"These stories will absolutely inspire our next generation of female scientists. . . . [The Sky Is for Everyone] is an absolute must-read for any young lady who is thinking of starting a career in astronomy. The same applies to anybody who is interested in the history of women in astronomy."---​​​​​​​Mary McIntyre, Journal of the British Astronomical Association

"This anthology of 37 short autobiographies covers more than six decades of astronomy and shows the varied paths of female astronomers and the roadblocks that can slow or sideline their success."---Ashley Yeager, Science News

"The essays in The Sky Is for Everyone illustrate the progress women have made in the field, although that push to equality is not complete."---Jeff Foust, Space Review

"Trimble and Weintraub bring together essays by women who reached for the stars in this uplifting anthology. . . . Filled with moving testimonies and awe-inspiring discoveries, this is a wonderful tribute to the joys of science and the tough road many women had on the way to forging their careers."

"The particulars of each woman’s experience are unique, which is part of what makes their stories compelling. . . . As I read through the book, no single essay stood out to me. Instead, I was affected (sometimes deeply) by each woman’s story in a different way, and I often felt compelled to take note of some phrase or piece of sage advice."---Nicolle Zellner, American Scientist

"An inspiring anthology of writings by trailblazing female astronomers from 1960 to today."---Simon Ings, New Scientist

"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"

“I thought I had written the definitive book about women in astronomy, but I bow to The Sky Is for Everyone. Its authors are the observatory directors, the university professors, the leaders of the international research teams that launch telescopes into space and draw down the secrets of the cosmos, each one telling her own story of a life in science.”—Dava Sobel, author of The Glass Universe

“A rich and captivating array of personal stories that provide a welcome addition to the history of astronomy. Here are the women who revealed the stars’ chemical compositions, designed cutting-edge telescopes, mapped the universe’s large-scale structure, measured cosmic expansion, and hunted for extrasolar planets. They are the pathfinders who helped define our modern universe.”—Marcia Bartusiak, author of The Day We Found the Universe and Black Hole

“This thought-provoking collection of stories by an absolutely amazing set of women astronomers worldwide is motivating, at times heartbreaking, and truly inspirational.”—Anne-Christine Davis, University of Cambridge

“What makes this book priceless is that each astronomer has written her own words. Every story is different, and all the details matter, yet the commonalities are impossible to miss. I can’t imagine a better resource for learning what it’s like to be a successful woman in science.”—Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime

“Through the individual voices of extraordinary women, Trimble and Weintraub tell a humbling and inspiring story of the evolution of astronomy and the struggle of women to enter the field.”—Jenny Greene, Princeton University

“These eloquent memoirs by prominent women astronomers span sixty years of social and scientific progress. They are pointed, poignant, and wise. Read them, ponder their common themes, and let us all learn from them.”—Roger Blandford, KIPAC, Stanford University

“This is a book whose protagonists have traversed with joy, perseverance, and pluck the entire golden age of modern astronomy and astrophysics. Together, their thrilling and moving essays combine into an eloquent, detailed history of scientific ideas, education, and aspirations, the magnificent instruments and places of discovery they have inhabited, and the doors they have opened to others and onto the universe.”—Diana Kormos Buchwald, general editor of the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein