Expressing support for the designation of August 1 as "National Woman Astronomers Day".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1448 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1448

Expressing support for the designation of August 1 as ``National Woman 
                           Astronomers Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

Mrs. Foushee submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
            the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing support for the designation of August 1 as ``National Woman 
                           Astronomers Day''.

Whereas ``National Woman Astronomers Day'' recognizes and emphasizes the 
        importance of American women in astronomy, including--

    (1) Maria Mitchell, the first American astronomer to discover a comet, 
the first woman appointed as a professor of astronomy in the United States, 
and a co-founder of the Association for the Advancement of Women;

    (2) Dr. Annie Jump Cannon, a pioneer in the classification of stars and 
the first woman elected as an officer of the American Astronomical Society;

    (3) Henrietta Swan Leavitt, who discovered a way to reliably calculate 
vast distances to astronomical objects, which led to a shift in the 
understanding of the scale and nature of the universe;

    (4) Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who determined that stars are 
composed primarily of hydrogen and helium and was the first woman to serve 
as a department chair at Harvard University;

    (5) Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, the first woman to hold a senior executive 
role at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, its first Chief 
of Astronomy, and widely known as ``The Mother of Hubble'' for her 
foundational role in developing the Hubble Space Telescope, and for whom 
the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is named;

    (6) Dr. Vera C. Rubin, whose observations of galaxy rotation curves 
provided key evidence for dark matter, and for whom the National Science 
Foundation Department of Energy Vera C. Rubin Observatory is named--the 
first United States national observatory named after a woman;

    (7) Dr. E. Margaret Burbidge, who discovered how elements are formed in 
stars and revolutionized our understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis and 
served as the first female president of the American Astronomical Society;

    (8) Dr. Barbara A. Williams, a leader in characterizing the hydrogen 
content of compact galaxy clusters with radio observations and the first 
African-American woman to earn a doctorate in astronomy;

    (9) Dr. Sidney C. Wolff, whose research gave insight into magnetic 
stars and was the first woman to lead a United States National Observatory;

    (10) Dr. Wendy Freedman, who conducts groundbreaking research on 
cosmology and the Hubble constant, refining the current estimate of the 
universe's expansion rate;

    (11) Dr. Elisa Quintana, who discovered the first Earth-sized exoplanet 
found in the habitable zone of a star other than the Sun;

    (12) Dr. Jane Luu, a leader in the discovery and early characterization 
of Kuiper Belt objects and the first woman to be awarded the Shaw Prize in 
Astronomy;

    (13) Dr. Andrea Ghez, who led research providing compelling evidence 
for a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way and is the 
only woman to ever win a Nobel Prize for astronomy research; and

    (14) countless other women whose pioneering achievements and dedication 
have expanded the frontiers of astronomy;

Whereas women's contributions in the field of astronomy have been critical to 
        its success;
Whereas women currently make up only 30 percent of the astronomical workforce;
Whereas increasing the number of women in the field of astronomy will be 
        critical to maintaining a competitive workforce and programs; and
Whereas diversity in any field incorporates different experiences, which can 
        ultimately lead to more creative and pioneering solutions: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the celebration of ``National Woman 
        Astronomers Day'' as a time to reflect on the many notable 
        contributions that women have made to the field of astronomy in 
        the United States;
            (2) urges the people of the United States to observe 
        ``National Woman Astronomers Day'' with appropriate programs 
        and activities; and
            (3) affirms the commitment of the House of Representatives 
        to ensuring that all women have equal access to opportunity in 
        the field of astronomy.
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