Book Review: Always Looking Up: Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer
May 2023 :
Book Review: Always Looking Up - Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer
by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Louise Pigott and Alex Oxton, Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 2019, ISBN 978-0-8975-0296-9, hardbound, $16.99, US
Reviewed by Francine Jackson
Most of us know that a new telescope is being launched to study, among many subjects of astronomy, dark matter and dark energy, exoplanets, and the infrared universe, in the mid 2020s. It is named for Nancy Grace Roman. But, is everyone familiar with who she was, and why this incredible machine is being launched with her name on it?
This tiny book, suitable for the very young, as well as adults looking for information on this incredible woman, is written for all to enjoy. It introduces Nancy Grace as a young girl who, like many women in the twentieth century, was discouraged from becoming a scientist. In addition, as a young girl, she had very weak eyesight, preventing her from truly enjoying the sky she loved so much. However, Roman was able to overcome both obstacles, soon becoming one of the top astronomers at NASA.
Her first major project was attempting to convince NASA, and Congress, of the need for a telescope that would observe above the atmosphere; over a decade later, the Hubble Space Telescope left Earth, and is still returning magnificent images.
Throughout her life, Roman stayed focused on her mission: Studying the stars every clear night, and watching their motions through space. Even after retiring, she kept up with the latest developments in astronomy, lectured to both children and adults, and continued to look up at the sky as often as possible.
Although this book is considered one for a young reader, an adult who is totally unaware of Nancy Grace Roman and her many achievements will gladly take an afternoon to read of her many accomplishments, despite the struggles she had as a young woman. Once you read Always Looking Up, you will realize that naming the next space telescope after her is a perfect choice.
