Joan Najita facts for kids

Joan R. Najita is an American astronomer who studies space. She is the Chief Scientist at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). This means she helps lead important research about stars and planets.

Studying the Universe

Dr. Najita has worked at the NOAO since 1998. Before that, she earned her PhD in 1993 from the University of California, Berkeley. A PhD is a very high degree you can get at a university.

She is an expert in how stars are born. She also studies how planetary systems, like our own Solar System, form and change over time. She is especially interested in the gas found in circumstellar disks. These are flat, spinning clouds of gas and dust around young stars, where planets can form.

Awards and Recognition

In 1996, Dr. Najita received a special honor called the Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award is given to young women astronomers for their excellent research.