Debra Fischer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debra Ann Fischer
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Fischer with a keplerian fit for υ And
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| Born | 1953 |
| Alma mater | University of Iowa, San Francisco State University, University of California at Santa Cruz |
| Known for | Astronomy, Exoplanetology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | Yale University |
Debra Ann Fischer is an American astronomer. She is a professor of astronomy at Yale University. Her main work is finding and studying exoplanets. Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. She has helped discover hundreds of these planets. She was also part of the team that found the first known system with multiple planets.
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Learning and Degrees
Debra Fischer has studied at several universities. In 1975, she earned a degree in nursing from the University of Iowa. Later, she changed her focus to science. She received a master's degree in physics in 1992. This was from San Francisco State University. In 1998, she earned her PhD in astrophysics. This higher degree came from the University of California at Santa Cruz.
Discovering New Worlds
Fischer has written over 300 papers about stars and exoplanets. She found a link between a star's makeup and the giant planets around it. She led a group called the N2K Consortium. This team found many exoplanets around stars rich in certain elements. They used powerful telescopes for their discoveries.
Tools for Planet Hunting
Debra Fischer also works on making better tools. These tools help scientists find exoplanets more easily. In 2011, she started a project called Fiber-optic Improved Next-generation Doppler Search for Exo-Earths. This project helps find smaller, more Earth-like planets. She also helped create a special device called a microcomb. It helps measure light very precisely. This is important for finding planets.
Fischer has been the main scientist for three special instruments. These are called spectrographs. They help astronomers study light from stars. By studying this light, they can find planets orbiting those stars.
Analyzing Data
Fischer and her team also improve how they look at data. They use advanced math and computer methods. This helps them find even tiny planets. From 2021 to 2023, she worked as a director at the National Science Foundation.
Big Projects and Discoveries
In 1999, Fischer made a huge discovery. She found the first star with more than one planet orbiting it. This helped scientists understand how planets form. It showed how giant planets and their stars are connected.
She also started a project called planethunters.org. This is a "citizen science" project. It lets regular people help scientists find planets. The project was inspired by the Kepler Project. Her "Planet Hunters" project has been very successful.
Awards and Recognition
Debra Fischer has received many honors for her work. Here are some of them:
- 1993 Graduate Student Fellowship, NSF
- 1994 Marilyn C. Davis Scholarship, UCSC
- 1997 California Space Grant, NASA
- 2002 Carl Sagan Award, American Astronautical Society
- 2004 Benjamin Dean Lecturer, California Academy of Science
- 2004 Professional Astronomer for the Communication of Science, Amateur Astronomer Society of Northern California
- 2005-2007 Cottrell Science Scholar
- 2009 Radcliffe Institute Fellow
- 2010 Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
- 2012 Elected Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2016 Hall of Fame Inductee, San Francisco State University
- 2020 Elected a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society
- 2021 Class of Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 2021 Elected Member of the National Academy of Sciences
See also
In Spanish: Debra Fischer para niños
