In her sophomore year, she began working at the Sproul Observatory processing astronomical photographic plates, inheriting Van de Kamp's ethos that since he had used “plates that were taken by his predecessors 50 years earlier," he felt obliged "to replace those with plates that his successors would use 50 years in the future”. Roman says that helped with “getting a feel for instruments and instrumentation and just having the fun of playing around with observing techniques.”
She worked on the two student telescopes available there, which had been defunct. The dean referred her to the astronomy department, then chaired by Peter van de Kamp, who was initially discouraging, but did teach her astronomy. Roman said “if you insisted on majoring in science or engineering, she wouldn't have anything more to do with you”. The dean of women was not encouraging in this. Roman attended Swarthmore College, intending to study astronomy. She attended Western High School in Baltimore where she participated in an accelerated program, graduating in three years. Although discouraged by those around her, Roman knew by seventh grade that she would dedicate her life to astronomy. When Roman was 11 years old, she formed an astronomy club, gathering with classmates once a week and learning about constellations from books. Roman considered her parents to be major influences in her interest in science. When she was about 12 years old, the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, when Irwin Roman was hired as Senior Geophysicist at the Baltimore office of the U.S. Roman and her parents later moved to Houston, Texas, New Jersey, Michigan, and then Nevada in 1935, when her father joined the Civil Service in geophysical research. Shortly after, her father took a job as a geophysicist for an oil company and the family moved to Oklahoma three months after Roman's birth. Nancy Grace Roman was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to music teacher Georgia Frances Smith Roman and physicist/mathematician Irwin Roman. In May 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced that the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope would be named the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in recognition of her enduring contributions to astronomy. Throughout her career, Roman was an active public speaker and educator, and an advocate for women in the sciences. She created NASA's space astronomy program and is known to many as the "Mother of Hubble" for her foundational role in planning the Hubble Space Telescope. The first female executive at NASA, Roman served as NASA's first Chief of Astronomy throughout the 1960s and 1970s, establishing her as one of the "visionary founders of the US civilian space program". Nancy Grace Roman (pronounced " Roman" – December 25, 2018) was an American astronomer who made important contributions to stellar classification and motions.
Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago, NASA, Naval Research Laboratory
Lifetime Achievement Award – Women in Aerospace.Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.William Randolph Lovelace II Award, American Astronautical Association.NASA Outstanding Scientific Leadership Award.Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, NASA.
0 kommentar(er)
