Google honors astrophysicist Dilhan Eryurt with new Doodle

July 20 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating late astrophysicist Dilhan Eryurt who contributed to NASA's Apollo 11 moon landings 51 years ago today.

Google's homepage features artwork of Eryurt alongside a space-themed Google logo.

Eryurt, who was born in western Turkey in 1926, began working at NASA in the 1960s after she worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Canada.

Eryurt researched the sun and demonstrated that the sun's brightness has decreased over time. This research helped NASA plan for space flights throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

She was awarded the Apollo Achievement Award in 1969 for her contribution to the Apollo 11 mission which featured the first-ever moon landing.

Eryurt returned to Turkey and took a position at Middle East Technical University. She also established Turkey's first National Astronomy Congress.

Eryurt died in September 2012 at the age of 85.