Catherine Heymans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catherine Heymans
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Heymans in 2014
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| Born | 1978 Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
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| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh (MPhys) University of Oxford (DPhil) |
| Known for | Weak gravitational lensing |
| Awards | George Darwin Lectureship (2017) Herschel Medal (2022) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics |
| Institutions | University of Edinburgh Max Planck Institute for Astronomy University of British Columbia Institut d'astrophysique de Paris |
| Thesis | Weak gravitational lensing and intrinsic galaxy alignments |
| Doctoral advisor |
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Catherine Elizabeth Heymans (born in 1978) is a British astrophysicist. An astrophysicist is a scientist who studies stars, galaxies, and the entire universe. She holds a very special job as the Astronomer Royal for Scotland. This means she is a top advisor on astronomy for Scotland. She is also a professor at the University of Edinburgh. She works at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.
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Her Early Life and Education
Catherine Heymans grew up in Hitchin, England. Her parents are David and Ann Heymans. She went to Hitchin Girls' School.
She studied physics at the University of Edinburgh. In 2000, she earned a Master of Physics degree. Later, in 2003, she received her doctorate from the University of Oxford. Her research there was about how gravity bends light from distant objects.
Exploring the Universe: Her Research
After her studies, Catherine Heymans worked at several famous research places. These included the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the University of British Columbia. She also worked at the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris. In 2009, she received a special grant to start her own research. Soon after, she became a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh.
What is Weak Gravitational Lensing?
Catherine Heymans is famous for her work on something called cosmic weak gravitational lensing. This is a way to study the universe. Imagine a giant magnifying glass made of gravity. When light from very distant galaxies passes by huge objects like galaxy clusters, their gravity bends the light. This makes the distant galaxies look a bit stretched or distorted.
Scientists like Catherine use these tiny distortions. They can learn about things we can't see directly. This includes dark matter, which is a mysterious substance that makes up a big part of the universe. It also helps them understand how the universe is growing. She led a big project called STEP1. She also helps lead a project using the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope.
Big Projects and Awards
Heymans is also a leader in the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS). This is a large project by the European Southern Observatory. In 2018, she won the Max Planck-Humboldt Research Award. This award is worth a lot of money (€1.5 million). It helps her set up a new center in Germany. This center will focus on studying how gravity bends light in the cosmos.
She also teaches an online course called AstroTech. This course is about the science and technology used to discover things in space. Her research gets funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council. This group helps pay for science projects.
Awards and Special Honours
Catherine Heymans has received many important awards for her work. In 2017, she was given the George Darwin Lectureship. This is an honour from the Royal Astronomical Society. In 2018, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a special membership for top scientists in Scotland.
In May 2021, she made history. She became the first woman to be named the Astronomer Royal for Scotland. She is the 11th person to hold this important position.
Her Life Outside Work
Catherine Heymans has a partner and three children. She continues her important research while balancing her family life.
See also
In Spanish: Catherine Heymans para niños
