Lisa Kaltenegger

Kaltenegger earned a degree in astrophysics in 1999 from Karl Franzens University in Graz, Austria; a master’s in physics and engineering in 2001 from the Graz University of Technology; and a doctorate in astrophysics in 2005 from Karl Franzens University.{{cite web|url=http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/directory/people/kaltenegger-lisa/ |title=NASA Astrobiology: Life in the Universe |access-date=2014-09-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321014653/https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/directory/people/kaltenegger-lisa/ |archive-date=2013-03-21 }} NASA Her Ph.D. was awarded Sub auspiciis Praesidentis by the Austrian president.{{cite web|url=http://ostaustria.org/bridges-magazine/volume-20-december-22-2008/item/3756-introducing-astrophysicist-lisa-kaltenegger-simulating-worlds-stranger-than-fiction |title=Introducing Astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger - Simulating Worlds Stranger than Fiction |access-date=2014-07-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714210455/http://ostaustria.org/bridges-magazine/volume-20-december-22-2008/item/3756-introducing-astrophysicist-lisa-kaltenegger-simulating-worlds-stranger-than-fiction |archive-date=2014-07-14 }} Bridges, Vol. 20, December 2008

Kaltenegger is known for her studies of the atmospheres of extrasolar planets, especially Earth-like ones{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/98/finding-a-second-earth/|title=Finding A Second Earth|last=Kluger|first=Jeffrey|date=2014-01-02|magazine=Time|language=en-us|access-date=2014-01-13}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.zeit.de/2012/24/Forschung-Exoplaneten|title=Astrophysikerin Kaltenegger: Detektivin im Weltall|last=Gast|first=Robert|date=2012-06-06|work=Die Zeit|language=de-DE|issn=0044-2070}} and is a pioneer in the study of the Earth as an astronomical object evolving in time. She studied the change in the Earth's spectral fingerprint as a comparison with the evolutionary stages of Earthlike exoplanets to generate an "Alien ID Chart"{{Cite news|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/signs-of-life-167320708/|title=Signs of Life|last=Seife|first=Charles|date=2007-10-02|work=Smithsonian|language=en}}{{Cite journal|title=Spectral Evolution of an Earth-Like Planet|journal=The Astrophysical Journal|volume=658|issue=1|pages=598–616|arxiv=astro-ph/0609398|last1= Kaltenegger|first1=L.|last2= Traub|first2=W. A.|last3= Jucks|first3=K. W.|year=2007|doi=10.1086/510996|bibcode = 2007ApJ...658..598K |s2cid=28813409}} article on Spectral Evolution of an Earth-like planet through geological time - pointing out that as biology and geology change the Earth through the ages, its appearance to a telescope observing it from distant stars would also change. She also investigated the ability of future telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope to detect evidence of life using spectral biomarkers (biosignatures){{Cite journal|title=Transits of Earth-Like Planets| journal=The Astrophysical Journal| volume=698| issue=1| pages=519–527| arxiv=0903.3371| last1= Kaltenegger| first1=L.| last2= Traub| first2=W. A.| year=2009| doi=10.1088/0004-637X/698/1/519|bibcode = 2009ApJ...698..519K | s2cid=53636156}} and generated the first spectra of Earth seen as a transiting exoplanet in 2009, concluding that it will be a hard problem for JWST and bigger future telescopes are needed to find signatures of life on many planets.{{Cite journal|arxiv=0903.3371|last1= Kaltenegger|first1= L.|title= Transits of Earth-Like Planets|journal= The Astrophysical Journal|volume= 698|issue= 1|pages= 519–527|last2= Traub|first2= W. A.|year= 2009|doi= 10.1088/0004-637X/698/1/519|bibcode = 2009ApJ...698..519K |s2cid= 53636156}}

In 2009, Kaltenegger discussed how one can determine habitability for moons around giant planets{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/7709-moons-avatar-pandora.html|title=Moons Like Avatar's Pandora Could Be Found|last=Choi|first=Charles|website=Space.com |date=2009-12-27|access-date=2012-12-28}}{{Cite journal| title=Characterizing Habitable Exo-Moons| journal=The Astrophysical Journal| volume=712| issue=2| pages=L125–L130| arxiv=0912.3484| last1= Kaltenegger| first1=L.| year=2009| doi=10.1088/2041-8205/712/2/L125|bibcode = 2010ApJ...712L.125K | s2cid=117385339}} coinciding with the suggestion of such a moon in the movie Avatar.

{{cite web|url=http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2010-14|title=Can We Spot Volcanoes on Alien Worlds? Astronomers Say Yes|date=2010-09-07|publisher=cfa.harvard.edu|access-date=2014-10-22}}

In 2010, Kaltenegger explored whether we could observe geological activity, that is very important for habitability, on exoplanets, finding that about 10 times Pinatubo eruptions could be detected around the closest exoplanets, showing us if other planets are similar to our own Earth. In 2011, she led a team to model the spectral fingerprint of Gliese 581 d, one of the first small Radial Velocity planets to be discovered in the habitable zone of its star.{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/the-twin-earths-of-gliese-581-two-exoplanets-may-support-life-a-721840.html|title=The Twin Earths of Gliese 581: Two Exoplanets May Support Life - SPIEGEL ONLINE|last=Stampf|first=Olaf|date=2010-10-08|publisher=spiegel.de|access-date=2014-10-22|newspaper=Spiegel Online}}

In 2013, Kaltenegger was part of the team announcing the discovery of the first two potentially habitable Kepler planets, with radii smaller than 2 Earth radii in the habitable zone of their stars, Kepler 62e and Kepler 62f{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQVlDqOchSA&list=PL1YWt5x9EIyOKC8L-WWYAY8C1Dh9qyeeQ|title=Kepler Makes Discoveries Inside the Habitable Zone - YouTube| publisher=youtube.com| access-date=2014-10-22}} and investigated whether or not these planets could still be habitable and how their spectra would look like if they were water worlds.{{cite web|url=http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2013-11|title=Two Water Worlds for the Price of One|date=2013-04-18|publisher=cfa.harvard.edu|access-date=2014-10-22}}

In 2021, Kaltenegger and J. K. Faherty identified 1,715 stars (with likely related exoplanetary systems) within 326 light-years (100 parsecs) that have a favorable positional vantage point—in relation to the Earth Transit Zone (ETZ)—of detecting Earth as an exoplanet transiting the Sun since the beginnings of human civilization (about 5,000 years ago); an additional 319 stars are expected to arrive at this special vantage point in the next 5,000 years.{{cite journal |last1=Kaltenegger |first1=L. |last2=Faherty |first2=J.K.|title=Past, present and future stars that can see Earth as a transiting exoplanet |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03596-y |date=23 June 2021 |journal=Nature |volume=594 |issue=7864 |pages=505–507 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-03596-y|pmid=34163055 |issn=0028-0836 |accessdate=23 June 2021 |arxiv=2107.07936 |s2cid=235626242 }}

Kaltenegger served four years{{when|date=February 2018}} on the Executive Council of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (Exo-PAG){{Cite news|url=http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exopag/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117201233/http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/ExoPAG/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-01-17|title=Exoplanet Program: Overview|work=Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond our Solar System}} and is part of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)http://space.mit.edu/TESS/TESS/TESS_Overview.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226030244/http://space.mit.edu/TESS/TESS/TESS_Overview.html |date=2014-02-26 }} and FGS/NIRISS{{Cite web|url=http://jwst.nasa.gov/fgs.html|title=Fine Guidance Sensor/Near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (FGS/NIRISS) Webb/NASA|website=jwst.nasa.gov}} science team. Kaltenegger is the founder{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} and current director{{Cite web|url=https://carlsaganinstitute.org/about/|title=History of Carl Sagan Institute|access-date=2018-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301044945/http://carlsaganinstitute.org/about/|archive-date=2019-03-01|url-status=dead}} of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University.

Asteroid 7734 Kaltenegger is named after Kaltenegger.{{cite web|url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=7734|title=JPL Small-Body Database Browser| author=Alan Chamberlin| publisher=ssd.jpl.nasa.gov| access-date=22 Oct 2014}} In 2007 she was named America's Young Innovator in Arts and Science by Smithsonian Magazine and received the Paul Hertelendy Prize for Outstanding Young Scientist at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. In 2012 she was named an EC Role Model for the Women in Research & Science Campaign of the EU and was awarded the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz-Preis in physics {{cite web| title=Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize for Lisa Kaltenegger| url=http://www.mpg.de/5814097/kaltenegger_heinz-maier-leibnitz_prize| access-date=28 Dec 2012}} awarded annually to only six young researchers in all fields of science in Germany. In 2013 she was selected as PI for the Simons Origins of Life Initiative{{cite web| url=https://www.simonsfoundation.org/funding/funding-opportunities/life-sciences/collaboration-on-the-origins-of-life-investigator-award/simons-collaboration-on-the-origins-of-life-lisa-kaltenegger/| title=Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life: Lisa Kaltenegger | Simons Foundation| publisher=simonsfoundation.org| access-date=22 Oct 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921220156/https://www.simonsfoundation.org/funding/funding-opportunities/life-sciences/collaboration-on-the-origins-of-life-investigator-award/simons-collaboration-on-the-origins-of-life-lisa-kaltenegger/| archive-date=21 September 2015| url-status=dead}} as well as PI for the Japanese Earth and Life Science Institute (ELIS).{{cite web|url=http://www.elsi.jp/en/people/?tab=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106124735/http://www.elsi.jp/en/people/?tab=1 |archive-date=2014-01-06 |url-status=dead|title=People | 地球生命研究所 ELSI EARTH-LIFE SCIENCE INSTITUTE|access-date=22 Oct 2014}} In 2014 she received the Christian-Doppler Prize of the city of Salzburg for Science and Innovations.{{cite web| url=http://www.salzburg.com/wiki/index.php/Christian-Doppler-Preis| title=Christian-Doppler-Preis – Salzburgwiki| publisher=salzburg.com| access-date=22 Oct 2014}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Portal|Biography}}

• [http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~lkaltenegger/Home.html Kaltenegger's home page at Harvard]
• [http://www.vimeo.com/70867962 Kaltenegger's 2013 interview by Nautilus (on Vimeo)]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140222010414/http://www.pagef30.com/2010/01/avatar-science-fallout-cnn-interview.html CNN Interview on Avatar and Habitable Moons]}}
• [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=168oZQxfdN4 Erde und die Spuren von Leben im All]

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Category:21st-century Austrian astronomers

Category:Austrian women physicists

Category:Harvard University faculty

Category:Living people

Category:University of Graz alumni

Category:Graz University of Technology alumni

Category:Astrobiologists

Category:American women biologists

Category:21st-century American women scientists

Category:21st-century American scientists

Category:1977 births

Category:American women astronomers

Category:American women academics