'Lady of the stars': Google Doodle honours astrophysicist Margherita Hack on her birthday

On June 12, Google honoured Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack with a vibrant doodle. Marking her 99th birthday, Google revealed that the Florence-born scientist was not only an expert in satellites, asteroids and the evolution of stellar atmospheres but also championed civil rights and was a well-renowned author and professor. “Acclaimed for her ability to explain complex scientific concepts to the general public, Hack published dozens of academic papers, several astronomy books, and founded two astronomical magazines,” the tech giant added.

The animated doodle

The doodle features the 'lady of stars' sitting alongside a giant telescope, observing the vastness of outer space. In the background, the word Google could be seen written in a black backdrop with glinting stars. Playing with the alphabets, the doodle artist has replaced the first ‘O’ of Google with the asteroid 8556 Hack, which was named after the space genius. The doodle also features a ginger coloured cat looking at the Hack as she continues to work.

“Happy birthday, Margherita Hack, and thank you for inspiring future generations to shoot for the stars!,” Google wished the late genius in a statement.

Born in Florence in 1922, Hack attended just one lecture in literature before switching to Physics. She later applied her knowledge of stellar spectroscopy at Florence’s Astronomical Observatory of Arcetri.

“In 1964, Hack moved to Trieste, where she made history not just as the first Italian woman to earn a full professorship at the city’s university but also as the first female director of the Trieste Astronomical Observatory. For over 20 years, she transformed Trieste’s Observatory from a largely anonymous institution to a globally renowned nexus of scientific progress. These distinguished innovations garnered Hack international recognition in the astronomical community, which led to prestigious memberships at NASA and the European Space Agency.

Hacks genius has been acknowledged across the world. In 1995, asteroid 8558 Hack, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, was named in her honour. At 90 years young, the Italian government conferred Hack with its highest award: the title of Dama di Gran Croce.

Image: Margherita Hack/Facebook/ GoogleDoodle/Twitter