Janet Akyüz Mattei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janet Akyüz Mattei
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| Born | January 2, 1943 |
| Died | March 22, 2004 (aged 61) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Nationality | Turkish and American |
| Awards | Centennial Medal of the Société Astronomique de France, 1987 George Van Biesbroeck Prize American Astronomical Society (1993) Leslie Peltier Award Astronomical League (1993) Giovanni Battista Lacchini Award for collaboration with amateur astronomers, Unione Astrofili Italiani (1995) Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1995) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy and planetary science |
| Institutions | American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) |
Janet Akyüz Mattei was an amazing astronomer. She was born in Turkey on January 2, 1943, and later became an American citizen. From 1973 until her death on March 22, 2004, she led a special group called the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Janet Akyüz Mattei was born in Bodrum, Turkey. Her parents were Bella and Baruh Akyüz. She grew up in a Turkish Jewish family.
Moving to the United States
Janet went to school at the American Collegiate Institute in İzmir, Turkey. After finishing school there, she moved to the United States. She wanted to study at a university.
University Studies
She attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She received a special scholarship to help her study there. Later, she got a job offer from Dorrit Hoffleit. This job was at the Maria Mitchell Observatory in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Advanced Degrees
From 1970 to 1972, Janet worked at the Leander McCormick Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1972, she earned her master's degree in Astronomy. She received this degree from the University of Virginia. She then went back to Turkey. In 1982, she earned her Ph.D. in Astronomy from Ege University in Izmir.
Leading the AAVSO
Janet Akyüz Mattei was the director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) for more than 30 years. This organization helps people who love astronomy.
Connecting Astronomers
As the head of AAVSO, she helped collect information about variable stars. These are stars that change in brightness. Many amateur astronomers from all over the world shared their observations with the AAVSO. Janet helped connect these amateur sky-watchers with professional astronomers. They worked together on many important projects.
Supporting Education
Janet was also very interested in teaching and helping young people. She encouraged students to get involved in science projects. Under her leadership, the AAVSO made its huge database of star observations available to teachers. She also helped amateur astronomers get access to the Hubble Space Telescope. This allowed them to use a very powerful telescope for their studies.
Awards and Recognition
Janet Mattei received many important awards for her work. These awards showed how much she contributed to astronomy.
Major Awards
In 1987, she won the Centennial Medal of the Société Astronomique de France. She also received the George Van Biesbroeck Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 1993. That same year, she won the Leslie Peltier Award from the Astronomical League.
International Honors
In 1995, she received the first Giovanni Battista Lacchini Award. This award was for her great teamwork with amateur astronomers. It came from the Unione Astrofili Italiani. Also in 1995, she was given the Jackson-Gwilt Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society.
An Asteroid Named After Her
To honor her amazing work, an asteroid was named after her. It is called 11695 Mattei. This happened on January 9, 2001.
Later Life
Janet Akyüz Mattei passed away in Boston in March 2004. She died from leukemia.
