Astronomers
10 people.
Carl Sagan 1934–1996Science & MathematicsAstronomer and science communicator who brought cosmology to millions through Cosmos and popular books.
Edwin Hubble 1889–1953Science & MathematicsAstronomer whose discovery of expanding galaxies provided the foundation for the Big Bang theory.
Neil deGrasse Tyson b. 1958Science & MathematicsAstrophysicist and science communicator who has made cosmology accessible to millions through television.
Vera Rubin 1928–2016Science & MathematicsMeasured galaxy rotation curves that provided the main observational evidence for dark matter.
Benjamin Banneker 1731–1806Science & MathematicsFree Black astronomer and almanac author who helped survey the federal district and challenged Jefferson on race.
Harlow Shapley 1885–1972Science & MathematicsDetermined the size of the Milky Way and displaced the Sun from its center.
Percival Lowell 1855–1916Science & MathematicsFounded Lowell Observatory and initiated the search that led to Pluto's discovery.
Annie Jump Cannon 1863–1941Science & MathematicsDeveloped the stellar spectral classification system still used to categorize stars.
Maria Mitchell 1818–1889Science & MathematicsFirst American woman professional astronomer who discovered a comet and taught at Vassar College.
Henrietta Swan Leavitt 1868–1921Science & MathematicsDiscovered the Cepheid period-luminosity relation that made measuring cosmic distances possible.