Google Doodle celebrates Turkish astronomer Nuzhet Gokdogan

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Google on Monday commemorated Türkiye’s first woman astronomer and mathematician Nuzhet Gokdogan with a special "Doodle" on its homepage on her 113th birthday anniversary.

The Doodle of the day, featuring the planet, books and an illustration of Gokdogan, honors the Turkish astronomer and mathematician, recognized as one of Türkiye’s first female astronomers.

When clicked, users are directed to a page containing information and news about the professor, who was born in Istanbul on Aug. 14, 1910.

Gokdogan was elected as the dean of the Faculty of Science at Istanbul University, becoming the first female dean in 1954.

“During her schooling, she learned French, German, and Turkish. A college scholarship brought her to Lyon University in France, where she completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics, and in 1933 received her graduate degree in physics from the University of Paris,” according to Google.

“She interned at the Paris Observatory and they invited her to continue her research there, but Gokdogan chose to return to Türkiye.”

Doodle applications aim to draw attention by featuring important days and holidays for different countries, cultural events, and significant historical figures. Internet users can click on the specially designed logo to access detailed information about the day, person, or topic.