MEET
Throughout history, innumerable people have
made valuable contributions to astronomy.
But since we’re short on space, here’s 20, ranked.
BY MICHAEL E. BAKICHGRE AT
ASTRONOMERS
I LOVE LISTS. I’ve created them for the
25 greatest astrophotos, 25 essential telescope
accessories, 12 great lunar targets, 10 things to
do on a cloudy night, and lots more. For our
500th issue, I even wrote “The 500 Coolest
Things About Space,” which took up the whole
issue. Most were just lists, but for this one, I’m
doing something different. I’m ranking my top
20 astronomers.
Here’s a necessary caveat: Throughout
recorded history, astronomy — like science ingeneral — has not been a terribly diverse
or inclusive field. For instance, the first
Black woman in the U.S. to get a Ph.D. in
astronomy was Barbara A. Williams, in
1981. This list spans nearly 2,300 years of
observers of the cosmos. In another 2,300
years, you can expect the next version of
this list to look very different.
That said, I love ranked lists because
they get me thinking. I hope this list does
the same for you.