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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