Newnham logo linking to Homepage
stargazing

Celebrating Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and Astronomy at Newnham

2025 marks 125 years since the birth of Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (NC 1919) and 100 years since her ground-breaking thesis described as "the most brilliant PhD thesis ever written in astronomy."

Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin broke barriers to become a trailblazer in astronomy: she was the first to determine the chemical makeup of stars, the first woman promoted to full Professor at Harvard in 1956, and the first to lead a department there. Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and her discoveries, have inspired generations of astronomers since. 

Anniversary events Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December 2025

We are planning to celebrate the anniversary of Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and her extraordinary achievements with a weekend of events from 5-7 December in partnership with the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge including:

Stargazing at The Institute of Astronomy; a key-note talk with Lord Rees of Ludlow OM- Former Astronomer Royal and 60th President of the Royal Society; a concert of music inspired by the stars by celebrated artists, pianist Anna Tilbrook, soprano Claire Booth and soprano Katherine Gregory (NC 2020); exclusive tours of the Whipple Museum of the History of Science; unveiling of the telescope used by Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin at Newnham; a series of talks by notable astrophysicists and astronomers including: Professor Anne Christine Davis, Fellow Professor Maria Ubiali, Professor Hiranya Peiris, former Ruth Holt Research Fellow Dr Ricarda Beckmann and Professor Nikku Madhusudhan.

With grateful thanks to our funders of this celebration weekend: Dr Janet Porter (NC 1965) and Stephen Newton, Meg Weston Smith and the Guild of Friends.

The Programme

Friday 5 December - Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge
  • 6.15pm-7.00pm – Drinks and nibbles
  • 7.00pm-8.00pm – Astronomer Royal Lord Rees to talk about Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and her impact on astrophysics
  • 8.00pm-9.00pm – Stargazing with the Cambridge Astronomical Association 

Saturday 6 December - Newnham College

  • 11.00am-11.45am - Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, Hiranya Peiris – Decoding the Cosmos
  • 12.00pm-12.45pm - Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Cambridge Anne Christine Davis and Fellow and Professor of Particle Physics Theory and Phenomenology, Maria Ubiali in conversation
  • 1.00pm-2.30pm – Buffet lunch (£)
  • 3.00pm-3.45pm - computational astrophysicist and former Ruth Holt Research Fellow Dr Ricarda Beckmann – Black hole research
  • 4.00pm-4.45pm - Professor of Astrophysics and Exoplanetary Science
    at the University of Cambridge Nikku Madhusudhan - Signs of life outside the solar system
  • 5.00pm – Unveiling of the telescope. Drinks for toasting
  • 5.30pm-6.30pm – The Infinite Shining Heavens concert inspired by the stars (£) Pianist Anna Tilbrook, soprano Claire Booth and soprano Katherine Gregory (NC 2020) Programme will include: 

 

Soprano Katherine Gregory (NC 2020) and pianist George Herbert 

Robert Schumann - Mein Schöner Stern

Franz Schubert - Nacht und Traume

Cecila McDowall - Angel’s at St Mary’s, Flight of Angels 

Samuel Barber - Sure on this Shining Night

Henry Mancini - Moon River

Soprano Claire Booth and pianist Anna Tilbrook

Oliver Knussen - The Learn’d Astronomer


Franz Schubert - Die Sterne
Robert Schumann - Mondnacht
Alban Berg - Nacht
Clara Schumann - Mein Stern

Modest Mussorgsky - Noch (Night)
Sergei Rachmaninov - V molchani nochi  taynoy (In the Silence of the Secret Night) 

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov - In the dark the Nightingale is Silent

Gustav Holst - Mercury from The Planets (arr. For four hands piano)

Thea Musgrave - The Man in the Moon
Elizabeth Maconchy - Clothed with the Stars

Muriel Herbert - How beautiful is night 

Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Infinite Shining Heavens

Claude Debussy - Nuit d’etoiles
Claude Debussy - Clair de lune

Leonard Bernstein - I hate music

Sunday 7 December - The Whipple Museum, Free School Lane, Cambridge

  • 10.00am-10.45am - Private behind the scenes tour of the museum whilst it is closed to the public
  • 11.00am-11.45am - Private behind the scenes tour of the museum whilst it is closed to the public