What’s Out There?
Astrophysicist and educator Jackie Faherty was drawn to her career by questions most people have had: Why are we here? What is this Earth? “You open up your mind to everything that’s out there in the universe,” Faherty tells TIME for Kids, “and you start studying stuff that will help bring you closer to getting those kinds of answers.”
Growing up, Faherty didn’t think she could pursue a career in astronomy because “There are a lot of men in astronomy,” she says. “I didn’t know that there were lots of women in the field, too.” Then a movie made from a book by Carl Sagan and featuring a female scientist put Faherty on her career path.
Now Faherty works at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in New York City, where she studies objects in space—specifically, brown dwarfs—and educates the public and aspiring teachers about the field she loves.
Building Blocks
A brown dwarf is a type of object in space, larger than a planet but smaller than a star, so it doesn’t have enough energy to shine as brightly. When Faherty was getting started in astronomy, she wanted to study objects that were newer to the field—objects that people didn’t already know much about. Her work, which includes more than 180 peer-reviewed articles in astrophysics journals, has helped people understand more about brown dwarfs.
One of the brown dwarfs Faherty is studying is called the Accident, because its discovery was accidental. “It’s probably the oldest brown dwarf we’ve ever found,” Faherty says. She believes the Accident came together more than 13 billion years ago, around the same time our universe was forming. Faherty and her team are working to understand what the Accident is made of, and what that means for other space objects. “I can use that information to try to understand the ‘ingredients’ of planets,” she says.
Inspiring the Future
Faherty doesn’t just study space. She also shares her knowledge. As an educator at the AMNH’s graduate school, she helps people learn how to teach Earth science.
Faherty leads educational programs at the museum, too. Visitors can attend her public talks in the famous Hayden Planetarium, where she shares the wonders of space with people of all ages. She’s now creating the planetarium’s next big show. These immersive theater experiences engage the public in exciting new discoveries in astronomy.
Through her research and teaching, Faherty is expanding our knowledge about space and inspiring the next generation of scientists. She advises future astrophysicists to vary their interests. “You should work hard—definitely work hard—but you should always have hobbies. You should never just do one thing. Do a lot of things. Spread your brain. It makes you a better person.”
Backyard Astronomy
Jackie Faherty runs a citizen science project called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9. It’s the type of project in which the public gets involved in scientific research. Faherty’s project invites people from around the world to help find new brown dwarfs and low-mass stars.
Some astronomers believe there may be an undiscovered ninth planet in our solar system. Identifying new celestial objects can bring them closer to finding it.
