Jane Luu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Lưu
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| Born | July 1963 (age 61–62) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Discovery of the Kuiper belt |
| Spouse(s) | Ronnie Hoogerwerf |
| Awards | Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy (1991) Shaw Prize (2012) Kavli Prize (2012) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy, Astrophysics, Engineering |
| Institutions | Harvard University, Lincoln Laboratory at MIT, Tufts University, University of Oslo |
| Thesis | Physical Studies of Primitive Solar System Bodies (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | David C. Jewitt |
Jane X. Luu (Vietnamese: Lưu Lệ Hằng; born in July 1963) is a famous Vietnamese-American astronomer. She is also a defense systems engineer. She is best known for helping to discover the Kuiper Belt. This is a huge area beyond Neptune filled with icy objects.
In 2012, Jane Luu won the Kavli Prize. She shared this award with David C. Jewitt and Michael Brown. They won for finding and studying the Kuiper Belt. Their work helped us understand how our Solar System formed.
Jane Luu came to the United States in 1975. Her family was a refugee family from Vietnam. They lived in refugee camps and motels at first. Later, they settled in Kentucky. Jane Luu was a top student in high school. She earned a scholarship to Stanford University. In 1984, she got her degree in physics. Working at Jet Propulsion Laboratory inspired her to study astronomy.
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Discovering the Kuiper Belt
Jane Luu continued her studies as a graduate student. She went to the University of California at Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her main project was to study how asteroids and comets are connected.
While studying, she worked with David C. Jewitt. Together, they looked for objects in a part of space that people thought was empty. This area is now known as the Kuiper Belt. For five years, they used a telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
In 1992, they made an amazing discovery! They found the first known object in the Kuiper Belt. It was not Pluto or its moon Charon. They nicknamed this new object "Smiley". It is officially called (15760) 1992 QB1.
In 1991, Jane Luu received the Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award came from the American Astronomical Society. In 1992, she also got a Hubble Fellowship. She chose to work at the University of California, Berkeley. The asteroid 5430 Luu is named after her. She earned her PhD from MIT in 1992.
Jane Luu's Career in Science
After getting her PhD, Jane Luu became a professor. She taught at Harvard University starting in 1994. She also worked as a professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Later, Jane Luu came back to the United States. She became a Senior Scientist at Lincoln Laboratory at MIT. There, she worked on defense projects. She focused on systems that use lidar. Lidar uses light to measure distances.
In 2004, Jane Luu and David Jewitt made another important discovery. They found frozen water on an object called Quaoar. At that time, Quaoar was the biggest known object in the Kuiper Belt. They also found signs of ammonia hydrate. They believed this ice formed deep inside Quaoar. It likely became visible after a collision with another object.
In 2012, Jane Luu won two major awards. She shared the Shaw Prize with David C. Jewitt. They won for finding and studying objects beyond Neptune. These objects are like a "treasure" from when the Solar System formed. They are also the source of many short-period comets.
She also shared the Kavli Prize with David Jewitt and Michael E. Brown. This award was for their work on the Kuiper Belt. Their discoveries helped us understand the history of our planetary system much better.
Personal Life and Interests
Jane Luu loves to travel. She has even worked for Save the Children in Nepal. She enjoys being outdoors and plays the cello.
She met her husband, Ronnie Hoogerwerf, in the Netherlands. He is also an astronomer. They were both working at Leiden University. They have one child together.
Awards and Recognitions
- 1991 Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy
- 2012 Shaw Prize in Astronomy
- 2012 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics
- The asteroid 5430 Luu was named in her honor in 1996.
- She is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
Images for kids
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Jane Luu, a famous astronomer.
See also
In Spanish: Jane Luu para niños
