Women and Girls in Astronomy

About the Event

Every year, Women and Girls in Astronomy brings together people from around the world to celebrate and highlight the contributions of women and girls to astronomy.

This global event, organised by the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, aims to inspire new generations, promote gender equity in science, and foster a more inclusive astronomical community. Through workshops, talks, and participatory activities, we connect stories, discoveries, and dreams that remind us the Universe is open to everyone.

The women of solar physics

Content

The women of solar physics
How to participate
Ideas for your events
Share your event with the world
Calendar of Astronomy events
More Information

In 2025, the Sun will experience a maximum in its activity, providing the citizens of Earth with a magnificent show of solar events. To celebrate this Solar System-wide event, this year's Women and Girls in Astronomy events will focus on the women of solar physics.

Will host special events and activities on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) and International Women's Day (8 March), we celebrate this theme throughout the year and encourage the public to join us

How to participate?

Plan a special event under this theme during International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) and International Womens Day's (8 March) or any time throughout the year.
Register your event in our world calendar.
Promote your event using the hashtag #WomenAndGirlsInAstronomy.!

Ideas for your events

In celebration of the women of solar astronomy, we have some suggestions that you can use:

Outdoor Activity

Sunspots and the Butterfly Plot

Annie Maunder (1868-1947)

Astronomer, astrophotographer, and science communicator.

By the end of the activity, learners should be able to identify sunspots on an image of the Sun and understand that the solar surface is not static.

Introduce Annie Maunder and her work.
- Suggestion: After giving a biography of Annie Maunder, give the learners a chance to discover her work on their own.
- Provide images that show the Sun's surface with sunspots visible at different points in time throughout the 11-year solar cycle, and overlay a grid showing the latitude on the solar surface.
- On a piece of graph paper with the x-axis as time and the y-axis as latitude (for more mathematically-inclined groups, instead make the y-axis the sine of the latitude and convert all numbers accordingly), have students plot the latitude of sunspots.
- Encourage learners to connect this to the number of sunspots they see on each image and make a connection to the solar cycle.
- Once the learners have derived their own butterfly plots, talk with them about sunspots and their significance for the solar cycle: what they are, how they change over time (butterfly plot), what we can learn from them and how this is all connected to 2025.
End with solar observation.
- Count the number of sunspots, or draw the surface of the Sun.
- If you do not have access to a solar telescope or filter, you can see the day's solar surface in multiple wavelengths at this link Universe Monitor

Indoor activity

The Structure of Sunspots

Maria Mitchell (1818 - 1889)

astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator.

By the end of the activity, learners should be able to describe the structure of sunspots.

Discuss why sunspots appear darker on the surface, convection currents and the role of magnetic fields.
- Suggestion: A lava lamp (physical or a video of one) can be used to demonstrate how heat can move material around.
Introduce Maria Mitchell and her work.
- Suggestion: Split up her biography into time periods and have the learners put together her history in chronological order. Note the many facets of he research profile, and the observatory that is named after her.
End with solar observation.
- Suggestion: Count the number of sunspots, or draw the surface of the Sun. If you do not have access to a solar telescope or filter, you can see the day's solar surface in multiple wavelengths at this link Universe Monitor

Indoor activity

Many ways to see the Sun

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900 – 1979)

astronomer and astrophysicist.

By the end of the activity, learners should be able to describe how astronomers figure out what objects in space are made of.

Introduce Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and her work.
- Suggestion: Focus on her PhD work and how she persevered and believed in her data, despite critics who told her she was wrong. Her PhD thesis is considered one of the most important publications in astrophysics.
Lead a discussion of the electromagnetic spectrum, spectra, and absorption and emission lines.
- Suggestion: Split up her biography into time periods and have the learners put together her history in chronological order. Note the many facets of he research profile, and the observatory that is named after her.
End with solar observation.
- Suggestion: If you have access to an H-alpha telescope and a telescope with a normal solar filter, have learners compare the two images and describe the differences.

Do you need more ideas on how to create an event?

You can check our mini guide

We encourage you to share your events and participate in Women and Girls in Astronomy!

By submitting your event, you consent to participate in the OAO initiatives. Verified submissions will be added to the Women and Girls in Astronomy homepage calendar.

If your event is open to the public, please leave enough information for people to get involved - both in person and online!

Moreover, we aim to promote every event on social media. If pictures are available, you can share your initiative with over 15,000 people on social media.

The submissions must be written in English. If you cannot translate the information for your event, please use an online translator like Google Translate or DeepL.

Please note that we may copy-edit some content if needed.

Calendar of Astronomy events

To highlight all the amazing activities happening around the globe, we will promote a calendar of events displayed on a world map and our social media channels.

More Information

All events must respect the general guidelines of the IAU Global Outreach initiatives, which promote the key role of astronomy for the betterment of science and society through collaboration and with a spirit of respect, tolerance, and peace.

If you need to change your events already on the calendar, please email the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach Team via public@...Click to show with the subject line “W&GiA Calendar 2025 – Update”.If you cannot submit through this form, please email the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach team via public@...Click to show with the subject line “W&GiA Calendar 2025 – Submission Form”.