In 1913, Phoebe Waterman, for whom our public observatory is named, became one of the first women to receive a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley. Remarkably, she was given access to one of the largest, most powerful, and most dangerous-to-handle telescopes in the world. At the time, many people typically thought this was "hardly a job for a woman." Join senior curator David DeVorkin as he tells the story of this remarkable pioneering scientist. 

Meet at the Museum "Great Seal", in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall on the first floor.

About the Ask an Expert lecture series: Every Wednesday at noon in the National Mall Building, a Museum staff member talks to the public about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum.