Dava Sobel is an accomplished American writer known for her popular expositions of scientific topics. She was born on June 15, 1947. Sobel is celebrated for her works such as Longitude, which explores the story of English clockmaker John Harrison. Another notable work is Galileo's Daughter, a historical memoir about Galileo's daughter, Maria Celeste. Her book, The Glass Universe, delves into the contributions of the ladies of the Harvard Observatory in measuring the stars.

Sobel is a 1964 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and attended Antioch College and the City College of New York, eventually earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1969. Over her four-decade career as a science journalist, she has contributed to a wide range of magazines, including Audubon, Discover, Life, and The New Yorker. She has also served as a contributing editor to Harvard Magazine and Omni. Sobel co-authored the book Is Anyone Out There? with astronomer Frank Drake.