Laura Danly facts for kids

Laura Danly, born on July 7, 1958, is an American astronomer. She is a scientist who studies space and stars. She used to be the Curator at the famous Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. She also led the Space Sciences Department at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Learning About Space

Laura Danly studied Physics at Yale University. She earned a special degree called a B.A. Then, she went on to get her Ph.D. in Astronomy. She earned this advanced degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Her Work as an Astronomer

Laura Danly has worked at several universities. She was an assistant professor at the University of Denver. She also taught at Pomona College. In these roles, she created exciting classes. These classes focused on astronomy, which is the study of space. She also taught about archaeoastronomy, which connects ancient cultures to the stars. Other topics included solar physics (the Sun), astrophotography (taking pictures of space), and astrobiology (life in space).

Danly also spent many years at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. This is a very important place for space research. There, she helped with education projects. She was also an assistant astronomer and a Hubble Fellow. She did special research after getting her Ph.D. at this institute.

As an astronomer, Laura Danly has spent many hours observing space. She used the Hubble Space Telescope for about 441 hours. This telescope helps scientists see ultraviolet light from space. She also spent hundreds of hours using other telescopes. These included the Kitt Peak National Observatory, McDonald Observatory, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Helping Young Women in Science

In 1991, Laura Danly started the Women's Science Forum. This group helps young women get excited about science careers. It lets them meet leading women scientists and engineers. They can ask questions and try hands-on activities. This helps them learn about different science jobs.

In 1993, Danly also helped write The Baltimore Charter for Women in Astronomy. This document talked about the challenges women faced in astronomy. It aimed to help women who were a smaller group in this field.

Sharing Science with Everyone

Laura Danly has also appeared on TV. She was a guest scientist on the documentary series The Universe. She also appeared on How the Universe Works. These shows help explain complex science to a wide audience.

On October 21, 2009, Danly hosted a special talk. It was about the latest discoveries from the Cassini–Huygens mission. This mission explored Saturn. During the talk, she introduced the main scientists involved in this space project.

Laura Danly retired from her role as Curator at the Griffith Observatory on December 4, 2020. Even though she is retired from that job, she still shares her love for science. She is an active science communicator on her Twitter page.

See also

In Spanish: Laura Danly para niños