Rachel Webster facts for kids

Rachel Lindsey Webster, born on July 3, 1951, is an amazing Australian scientist. She is an astrophysicist, which means she studies space and how the universe works. Rachel was the second woman to become a physics professor in Australia! She loves to research things far beyond our galaxy, like black holes and the very first stars that ever formed. Rachel earned her highest degree from Cambridge University. She also worked as a researcher at the University of Toronto and the University of Melbourne.

Becoming a Scientist: Rachel's Early Life

Rachel Webster was born in a place called North East Victoria on July 3, 1951. She started school at Tallangatta Primary School. When she was six, her family moved to Melbourne. There, she went to Blackburn South Primary School and later to Presbyterian Ladies' College.

Rachel's parents were very supportive. Her dad was an engineer, and her mom taught geography. Both of them encouraged Rachel to be curious about physics, science, and math from a young age. Rachel decided she wanted to study astronomy after a special event. In her last year of high school, she attended a lecture at the University of Sydney. The talk was about cosmology, which is the study of the universe. It was given by Robert May, a very famous Australian scientist.

Rachel's Journey in Science

Rachel Webster finished her first degree in astrophysics from Monash University in Melbourne in 1975. After a short break from university, she realized her true passion was science. This led her to write to Martin Rees, a top astronomy professor at Cambridge University. He encouraged her to get a master's degree first.

So, Rachel completed her master's degree at the University of Sussex in 1980. Then, in 1985, she earned her PhD from Cambridge University. Her PhD research was about Gravitational Lensing and Cosmology. After that, she worked at the University of Toronto. There, she focused on something called the Einstein Cross, which is a distant object whose light is bent by gravity.

Studying the Universe with Powerful Telescopes

In 1992, Rachel Webster came back to the University of Melbourne. She received a grant to research using the Parkes Quasar Survey. She was very interested in how galaxies can bend light. This bending effect is known as gravitational lensing.

Today, Rachel's research team uses amazing equipment. They use the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the Gemini telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Rachel is also part of a big international team. They are helping to design a new radio telescope in Western Australia.

Rachel's main goal is to find the very first light sources in the universe. She learns about this by studying hydrogen atoms and clouds of neutral hydrogen. She has also researched quasars, cosmology, and dark matter.

Helping Other Scientists

Rachel Webster has been the leader of the National Committee of Astronomy. She also helped create a special program called "Women in Physics." This program has helped more women graduate with physics degrees from the University of Melbourne.

Awards and Recognitions

Rachel Webster has received many important awards for her work:

• 2020 Officer of the Order of Australia
• 2017 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
• 2010 Victorian Honour Roll of Women
• 2008 Member of the Royal Society of Victoria
• 2007 Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics
• 1998 Fellow of the International Astronomical Union
• 1997 Inaugural Australian Institute of Physics Women in Physics Lecture
• 1988 Member of the American Astronomical Society

She is also the President of the Academic Board at The University of Melbourne. She has also received the Robert Ellery Lectureship.

See also

In Spanish: Rachel Webster para niños