Harriet Dinerstein facts for kids
Harriet Dinerstein is an amazing American astronomer. She has won important awards for her work studying space. The American Astronomical Society gave her the Annie J. Cannon Prize in 1985. Later, in 1989, she also received the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize. Harriet studied at top universities. She earned her first degree from Yale University in 1975. Then, she got her Ph.D. (a very high degree) from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1980. Today, she teaches astronomy as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
What Does an Astronomer Study?
Harriet Dinerstein studies many interesting things in space. She looks at the chemical makeup of stars. This means she figures out what elements, like hydrogen or helium, stars are made of.
She also studies planetary nebulae. These are not planets! They are beautiful clouds of gas and dust. They form when a star like our Sun reaches the end of its life.
Another area she studies is H II regions. These are huge clouds of gas in space. They contain hydrogen that has been "ionized." This means the hydrogen atoms have lost their electrons. These regions are often where new stars are born.
Discovering a Recurrent Nova
In 1973, Harriet made an exciting discovery. She found a recurrent nova called V3890 Sagittarii on old photographic plates. A nova is a star that suddenly becomes much brighter. A recurrent nova means it brightens up more than once.
This particular nova had erupted in May or June 1962. It erupted again in April 1990. Most recently, it erupted on August 27, 2019. It's amazing that she found evidence of its past eruptions!
Awards and Honors
Harriet Dinerstein has been recognized for her important contributions to astronomy.
- In 1984, she received the Annie J. Cannon Award from the American Association of University Women and the American Astronomical Society. This award honors outstanding research by a woman astronomer.
- In 1989, she won the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy from the American Astronomical Society. This prize is given to young astronomers for significant achievements in observational astronomical research.
See also
In Spanish: Harriet Dinerstein para niños
