Lisa Kaltenegger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Kaltenegger
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Lisa Kaltenegger standing in front of Cornell's Big Red Barn
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| Born | 4 March 1977 (age 48) |
| Known for | Exoplanet atmospheres |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics Exoplanets |
| Institutions | Cornell University Carl Sagan Institute |
Lisa Kaltenegger (born 4 March 1977) is an Austrian astronomer. She studies planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets. Her work focuses on understanding these planets and searching for signs of life on them.
Since 2014, she has been a professor of Astronomy at Cornell University. Before that, she worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. She also worked at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the United States.
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Her Journey in Science
Lisa Kaltenegger studied astrophysics at Karl Franzens University in Austria. She earned her first degree in 1999. In 2001, she got a master's degree in physics and engineering. She completed her doctorate in astrophysics in 2005. Her Ph.D. was given a special award by the Austrian president.
She is known for studying the air around exoplanets. She especially looks at planets that are similar to Earth. Dr. Kaltenegger is a pioneer in studying how Earth looks from far away. She also looks at how Earth's appearance changes over time.
Studying Alien Worlds
Dr. Kaltenegger created an "Alien ID Chart." This chart helps compare Earth's changing look to other Earth-like exoplanets. It shows how life and geology on Earth change its "spectral fingerprint." This is how Earth would appear to a telescope from distant stars.
She also explored if future telescopes could find signs of life. These signs are called "biosignatures." She found that finding life signs on many planets will need very powerful telescopes.
In 2009, Dr. Kaltenegger talked about how to find if moons around giant planets could support life. This idea was also shown in the movie Avatar.
In 2010, she looked into whether we could see volcanoes on exoplanets. Volcanoes are important for a planet to be habitable. She found that large eruptions, like 10 times the size of Mount Pinatubo, could be seen. This could tell us if other planets are like Earth.
In 2011, she led a team to study Gliese 581 d. This was one of the first small planets found in its star's habitable zone. The habitable zone is where temperatures are right for liquid water.
Discovering New Planets
In 2013, Dr. Kaltenegger was part of a team that found two potentially habitable planets. These planets, Kepler 62e and Kepler 62f, are smaller than two Earths. They are also in the habitable zone of their stars. Her team studied what these planets might look like if they were water worlds.
Earth as an Exoplanet
In 2021, Dr. Kaltenegger and J. K. Faherty found many stars that could see Earth. These stars are within 326 light-years of us. From these stars, Earth would appear to pass in front of our Sun. This is called a "transit." They found 1,715 such stars that could have seen Earth transiting for the last 5,000 years. Another 319 stars will be able to see this in the next 5,000 years.
Dr. Kaltenegger has also worked with NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program. She is part of the science team for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). She is also the founder and director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University.
Awards and Recognition
An asteroid, 7734 Kaltenegger, is named after Lisa Kaltenegger. In 2007, Smithsonian Magazine named her America's Young Innovator in Arts and Science. She also received the Paul Hertelendy Prize for Outstanding Young Scientist.
In 2012, she was named an EC Role Model for the Women in Research & Science Campaign of the EU. She also won the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz-Preis in physics. This award is given to only six young researchers in Germany each year.
In 2013, she was chosen to lead projects for the Simons Origins of Life Initiative. She also led a project for the Japanese Earth and Life Science Institute (ELIS). In 2014, she received the Christian-Doppler Prize for Science and Innovations.
See also
In Spanish: Lisa Kaltenegger para niños
