Katherine Johnson
Early Life
Katherine Johnson grew up in West Virginia, USA. Her mother was a teacher and her father a farmer and handyman. Katherine was curious about numbers from an early age and took every course in maths she could at West Virginia State College. She graduated with the highest honours in 1937 and took a job teaching at a Black public school in Virginia. In 1939, Katherine became the first Black woman to study for a postgraduate qualification at West Virginia University. She then took a break from studying and teaching to have children.
Year born: 1918
Research Areas: Rocket Flightpaths, Trajectories, Orbital Mechanics
"I loved going to work every single day"
Computers
Interferometers use a network of antennas, over a wide area, to create a virtual much larger single telescope. It would be impossible to build such instruments without powerful computers. Signals from different antennas must be added together with atomic-clock precision. Software must separate real signals from background noise and then produce a result that is useful for astronomers.
Numbers
Astrophysicists apply their knowledge of maths to solve problems about the Universe. They collect information using telescopes, and use maths and statistics to interpret the information. Astrophysicists also use mathematical models and formulas to understand the physics of the Universe. We would not have been able to discover black holes or know that the Universe is expanding without maths.
Astronomers use numbers all the time (especially really big ones!). Astronomy grew out of solving problems about time and distance.
Solar System Word Search
We've hidden 11 words in this grid. All the words are linked to the Solar System. Can you find them?