Anna Frebel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Frebel
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Anna Frebel (2022)
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| Born | 1980 (age 44–45) Berlin, Germany
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| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | Australian National University |
| Known for | Discovering the oldest stars in the universe |
| Awards | Ludwig Biermann Award Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | MIT Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics University of Texas |
| Thesis | Abundance analysis of bright metal-poor stars from the Hamburg/ESO survey (2006) |
| Doctoral advisor | John Edward Norris |
| Other academic advisors | Martin Asplund Michael Stanley Bessell |
Anna Frebel is a German astronomer who was born in Berlin in 1980. She is well-known for her work in finding some of the oldest stars in our universe. She also writes books about space and science.
Contents
Anna Frebel's Journey in Science
Anna Frebel grew up in a city called Göttingen in Germany. After high school, she started studying physics. However, she later decided to focus on astronomy.
Studying Astronomy in Australia
Anna moved to Australia to study astronomy. She earned her PhD in Astronomy from the Australian National University. This university is home to the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra.
Research in the United States
After finishing her studies in 2006, Anna Frebel moved to the United States. She became a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. There, she continued her important work on stars.
From 2009 to 2011, she worked as a special researcher at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. This center is in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 2012, Anna Frebel joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She became a full professor there in 2022.
Amazing Star Discoveries
Anna Frebel has made some incredible discoveries about stars. Her work helps us understand the early universe.
Finding Ancient Stars
In 2005, Anna Frebel discovered a star named HE 1327-2326. This star has very little iron. Scientists believe it formed very soon after the Big Bang, which was the beginning of our universe.
Two years later, in 2007, she found another very old star. This was a red giant star called HE 1523-0901. It is estimated to be about 13.2 billion years old. Finding such ancient stars helps astronomers learn about how the first stars formed.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Anna Frebel has received many awards for her important work. These awards show how much her discoveries mean to the world of astronomy.
- 2007: She won the Charlene Heisler Prize. This award is for the best astronomy PhD in Australia from 2006.
- 2009: She gave the opening presentation at the XLAB Science Festival in Göttingen.
- 2009: She received the Ludwig Biermann Award. This is a special award for young astronomers from the German Astronomical Society.
- 2010: She was honored with the Annie J. Cannon Award. This award comes from the American Astronomical Society.
- 2010: She was a Lise Meitner Lecturer in Göttingen and Innsbruck.
- 2011: She became a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow. This is a recognition from the National Academy of Sciences.
- 2022: She was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
See also
In Spanish: Anna Frebel para niños
