Astronomy Above the Atmosphere: Nancy Grace Roman prepared by Ruth Howes Marquette University

1. Astronomy Above the Atmosphere: Nancy Grace Roman prepared by Ruth Howes Marquette University with support from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium

2. The Beginning of Space-Based Astronomy World War II saw the development of rockets as weapons. Further research offered the possibility of placing satellites in orbit. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) formed in1958 from a combination of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics and the rocket group from the Naval Research Laboratory. Although NASA’s primary focus was on manned space flight, scientists recognized the opportunity for basic research in astronomy from satellites.

3. Image from NASA and downloaded from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Atmospheric_transmittance_infrared.gif

4. Images of two stars showing blurring from seeing. A negative short-exposure image of the binary star Zeta Bootis, taken with the en:Nordic Optical Telescope in May 2000. Further details can be found at http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/telescopes/coast/theses/rnt/node48.html

5. A V2 Rocket: Imperial War Museum - picture scanned by me Ian Dunster 13:57, 17 September 2005 (UTC) from: Weapons & War Machines compiled by Andrew Kershaw and Ian Close - Phoebus - 1976 - ISBN 0-7026-0008-3 and credited to: Imperial War Museum.

6. Nancy Grace Roman Photograph from NASA

7. Highlights of Nancy Grace Roman’s Career B.A. in astronomy from Swarthmore College Ph.D. from the University of Chicago work done at Yerkes Observatory Research Associate, Instructor, and Assistant Professor at Yerkes and the University of Chicago research on chemical composition of groups of stars Astronomer at the Naval Research Laboratory. Numerous projects including radar measurement of distance to moon Joins NASA in charge of space-based programs in the visible and ultraviolet

8. Roman Starts NASA’s Astronomy Program Visits to all major astronomy departments and relevant industries to sell the idea of using satellites. Establishes external advisory board to reduce friction between astronomers at universities and those at NASA NASA will fund space-based astronomy; NSF will fund ground-based astronomy. Staffs work out the gray areas. Dealt with barrage of publicity as a woman holding high rank in NASA

9. NASA’s Four Great Observatories from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_ NASA_Great_Observatories_PS.html

10. The Hubble Space Telescope from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_ NASA_Great_Observatories_PS.html

11. Stars Form in the Eagle Nebula As photographed by The Hubble Space Telescope

12. M-100 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope

13. Hubble Image of the Planet Mars

14. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_ NASA_Great_Observatories_PS.html

15. The Milky Way in Gammas as shown by data from the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

16. The Chandra X-Ray Telescope from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_ NASA_Great_Observatories_PS.html

17. Two Galaxies Collided to form the Cartwheel Galaxy shown here as a composite of data from the Hubble (green), Spitzer (red) and Chandra (purple). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/P. N. Appleton (SSC/Caltech )

18. The Spitzer Space Telescope from http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_ NASA_Great_Observatories_PS.html