As we hit the end of February, let’s revisit one of astronomy’s brightest stars who left us too early.
Beth Brown was born February 4, 1969. She grew up in Roanoke, Virginia watching reruns of Star Trek and was enthralled with Star Wars, and both fueled her love for the stars. In high school she visited an observatory, where she viewed the Ring Nebula through a telescope. That school trip impacted her deeply, and after graduation, Brown decided to pursue astronomy.
She chose Howard University as an astrophysics major, dreaming of one day becoming an astronaut. While an undergrad, she learned her dislike of tight spaces (like those in a space shuttle) and that being near-sighted might not be the best attributes for an astronaut. Brown still pursued astrophysics, though, and graduated summa cum laude in 1991. While still an undergrad, she interned twice for NASA at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Brown pursued her graduate degrees at the University of Michigan, earning both her Masters and her doctoral degrees there. She became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in astronomy from the university. While studying astronomy, Brown also participated in science communication, teaching students and the general public about astronomy through the local planetarium and developing a short course at the university for non-astronomy majors to learn about the subject.
After obtaining her PhD, Dr. Brown returned to NASA, first as a post-doctoral research associate focused on elliptical galaxies, using both the ROSAT X-ray satellite and Chandra X-ray observatory to gather data. In her career at NASA, Dr. Brown worked at Goddard Space Flight Center and the X-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory. She also taught classes at Howard University on physics and astronomy as part of a NASA administrator fellowship.
Dr. Brown had just accepted a new position at GSFC as the Assistant Director for Science Communications and Higher Education, a job that combined her love for teaching and communicating about astronomy. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the chance to fulfill that role. Dr. Brown suffered a pulmonary embolism in October of 2008 which led to her unexpected death at the age of 39.
The Dr. Beth A. Brown Science Foundation was founded to remember and honor Dr. Brown by awarding scholarships to students studying physics or astronomy. The foundation awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are attending a university and majoring in either subject, as well as current students at Howard University and the University of Michigan.
The American Astronomical Society remembers Dr. Brown through the Beth Brown Memorial Award. In conjunction with the National Society of Black Physicists, the awards are given to an undergraduate and a graduate student who presents their research to the NSBP in poster format, and one student who presents in an oral format. Those selected receive a year of membership in AAS and registration to an AAS event with reimbursement for expenses. Members of the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA) are often involved in the selection process through the NSBP.
Though Dr. Brown’s time in astronomy was cut short, she made deep and lasting impacts everywhere she went. Astro 127, or Naked Eye Astronomy, is still taught at the University of Michigan, allowing students to experience the joy of learning about the most common astronomical objects that can be observed with the naked eye.
Through her work, teaching, and outreach, she inspired young people to look to the stars, just as she did that first time she peered through a telescope and felt the stars calling her.
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