Before 1900, a woman who wanted to study the stars had to have a father, brother, or husband to provide entry. For much of the 20th century, the doors of opportunity stayed closed to women astronomers. After decades of difficult struggles, they are closer to equality in astronomy than ever before.

In the new anthology The Sky Is for Everyone, co-editors Virginia Trimble and David A. Weintraub bring together the stories of the tough and determined women from the 1960s to today who flung the doors wide open, giving voice to the history of a transformative era in astronomy.

Trimble, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, is joined by two other contributors to the book in a discussion of the experiences of women who broke down barriers and changed the face of modern astronomy: France A. Córdova, an astrophysicist and the 14th director of the National Science Foundation; and Sara Seager, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Andrea Dupree, associate director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, moderates the conversation.  

The Sky Is for Everyone (Princeton University Press) is available for purchase.

Book Sale Information

• Purchase your copy of The Sky Is for Everyone edited by Virginia Trimble and David A. Weintraub here.
• SPECIAL NOTE: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 (no space between letters and numbers) in the “Coupon discount” section on Politics and Prose's check-out page.

Patron Information

• If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
• Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
• Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
• Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
• View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.