Ann Hornschemeier is an American

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

specializing in

X-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

emission from X-ray binary populations. She is the Chief Scientist for the Physics of the Cosmos program at

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Career and research

She chairs the

NuSTAR NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, also named Explorer 93 and SMEX-11) is a NASA space-based X-ray telescope that uses a conical approximation to a Wolter telescope to focus high energy X-rays from astrophysical sources, especiall ...

Starburst and Local Group science working group, which observes seven nearby

galaxies A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...

and uses high-energy X-rays to search for and take pictures of the densest, hottest and most energetic regions in the universe. At NASA, Hornschemeier researches high energy

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

and

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount (lexicographer), Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in ...

. She is involved in future research missions, including the

ESA , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

Athena mission due to launch in 2028. Hornschemeier is also an adjunct faculty member at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

. Hornschemeier specializes in studies of x-ray emission from x-ray binary populations, both in the local universe and at cosmologically interesting distances (z > 0.1). This work is carried out using surveys by space-based x-ray, UV and infrared observatories, alongside ground-based telescopes. She is also the Chief Scientist for the Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) programme, NASA's high energy astrophysics and cosmology programme, and is also heavily involved in future missions as a research scientist at NASA, including co-chairing a science panel for the

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

mission due for launch in 2028. Hornschemeier is heavily involved in future missions, serving as the NASA Deputy Study Scientist for the

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a proposed space probe to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves—tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime—from astronomical sources. LISA would be the first dedicated space-based gr ...

(LISA) mission, a space-based gravitational wave mission led by the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

. She works with the Study Scientist and NASA HQ on NASA's scientific and technical contributions to LISA.

Education

Hornschemeier gained a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 2002 from

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

; she has a Master of Science in astronomy in Astrophysics also from

. She graduated from her Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

, from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...

(Des Moines, Iowa).

Awards and honors

In 2007, she won the

American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...

's Annie Jump Cannon Award, which recognizes women for their outstanding research in astronomy, for her X-ray investigations of distant galaxies.

awarded her the Early Career Achievement Medal in 2012, recognising outstanding early career achievement in science, leadership and service. In 2016, she was elected Fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

Family

Hornschemeier's brother is the artist, author, and director

Paul Hornschemeier Paul Hornschemeier (born October 27, 1977) is an artist, author, and director based in Pasadena, California. He is known for his thought-provoking explorations of the layered complexities of human life in his work. Biography Hornschemeier was b ...

References

American women astronomers NASA astrophysicists Living people Recipients of the Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy Year of birth missing (living people) Drake University alumni Eberly College of Science alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society {{US-astronomer-stub