Asa Stahl
Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator
Bridging the gap between science and the public to share curiosity, wonder, and cosmic perspectives.
Research | Science Writing | Journalism | Children's Books | Teaching | Social Media Videos | Editing | Public Speaking
I'm an astronomer and science communicator working to connect others with the marvels of our universe. My goal is to empower people with knowledge of scientific discoveries, capture their imaginations through the thrill of exploration, and bring them together around the grand mysteries we’ve yet to solve.
I recently completed a PhD at Rice University, where my research focused on young stars and planets. Mainly, I worked to discover newborn worlds around other stars in order to learn more about how planets form. The ultimate goal of this work was to help answer questions like, "How rare are worlds like Earth?" and "How did we get here?"
I began writing about science with my first pop-astronomy children's book, The Big Bang Book, which has been named a Sakura Medal Finalist, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, ILA Nonfiction Honor book, and an Ezra Jack Keats Award nominee. Since then, I have engaged the public through everything from short-form social media videos and breaking-news articles to essays, courses, and in-person events. In 2022, I received the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship; in 2023, I published my second children's book, Picnic Planet: A Lunchtime Guide to Your Galaxy's Exoplanets. My articles have been featured in Science News, Sky & Telescope, Google Arts & Culture, the Houston Chronicle, and APS News, among others.
In 2024, I joined the staff of The Planetary Society, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing space science and exploration. Carl Sagan, my role model in science communication, originally co-founded The Planetary Society in 1980, and Bill Nye now leads the organization as CEO. I am lucky enough to try to follow in these heroes’ footsteps as a public-facing science communicator for the Society.
In addition to my role at The Planetary Society, I am working on a number of independent projects.
You can find my full CV here.
I recently completed a PhD at Rice University, where my research focused on young stars and planets. Mainly, I worked to discover newborn worlds around other stars in order to learn more about how planets form. The ultimate goal of this work was to help answer questions like, "How rare are worlds like Earth?" and "How did we get here?"
I began writing about science with my first pop-astronomy children's book, The Big Bang Book, which has been named a Sakura Medal Finalist, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, ILA Nonfiction Honor book, and an Ezra Jack Keats Award nominee. Since then, I have engaged the public through everything from short-form social media videos and breaking-news articles to essays, courses, and in-person events. In 2022, I received the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship; in 2023, I published my second children's book, Picnic Planet: A Lunchtime Guide to Your Galaxy's Exoplanets. My articles have been featured in Science News, Sky & Telescope, Google Arts & Culture, the Houston Chronicle, and APS News, among others.
In 2024, I joined the staff of The Planetary Society, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing space science and exploration. Carl Sagan, my role model in science communication, originally co-founded The Planetary Society in 1980, and Bill Nye now leads the organization as CEO. I am lucky enough to try to follow in these heroes’ footsteps as a public-facing science communicator for the Society.
In addition to my role at The Planetary Society, I am working on a number of independent projects.
You can find my full CV here.
Background art and Big Bang Book art Copyright Carly Allen-Fletcher; Picnic Planet art Copyright Nadia Hsieh; Background image credit NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team