Cornell astronomer honored for achievement in observational analysis

Anna Y. Q. Ho, assistant professor of astronomy within the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the 2026 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). 

Given yearly for excellent achievement in observational astronomical analysis primarily based on measurements of radiation from an astronomical object, the Pierce Prize this yr acknowledges Ho’s pioneering investigations of maximum explosions powered by stellar dying. Her analysis has revealed ultra-bright, short-duration optical flaring related to a brand new class of visible occasions referred to as Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs). 

LFBOTs are regarded as related to the destruction of stars, and Ho is on the entrance strains of observing and deciphering these occasions, that are uncommon, poorly understood, and sometimes linked to unusual phenomena.

“The origin of LFBOTs is a pressing mystery in time-domain astronomy,” Ho mentioned. “The proposed fashions would all be necessary for our understanding of the lives and deaths of stars, in addition to the formation and development of black holes. I’m so lucky to have the ability to deal with cosmic puzzles with my college students, postdocs and collaborators.”

Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences website.