One prominent African American astronomer in history is Dr. George Robert Carruthers. Dr. Carruthers was an astrophysicist and inventor best known for his invention of the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph, which was used in the Apollo 16 mission to the moon in 1972. He made significant contributions to our understanding of space and was a trailblazer for African Americans in the field of astronomy. Dr. Carruthers' work helped pave the way for future generations of African American scientists and astronomers.