Elisabetta Pierazzo

Elisabetta Pierazzo (born July 4, 1963 in Noale , Italy , † May 15, 2011 in Tucson , Arizona ) was an Italian planetologist . She was at the University of Arizona expert on the modeling of impacts of celestial bodies .

life and work

Pierazzo studied physics at the University of Padua and went to the University of Arizona after graduating in 1988. She received her PhD in 1997 and her thesis was awarded the Gerard P. Kuiper Memorial Award by the University of Arizona . As a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, she was an expert in modeling impacts across the solar system, as well as the astrobiological and ecological effects of impacts on Earth and Mars . As an expert on the Barringer Crater in Arizona, she has appeared on national and international broadcasts, including National Geographic Specials. She was co-editor of the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science , reviewed papers for scientific journals, organized workshops and meetings, and participated on numerous NASA review bodies.

Honors

Pierazzo moon crater and surroundings

Pierazzo was posthumously awarded an asteroid named after her (Minor Planet (15339) Pierazzo ) by the International Astronomical Union in 2011 . In 2015, the lunar crater Pierazzo was named after her in her honor. In 2015 the school in her hometown of Noale was named: Elisabetta "Betty" Pierazzo.

Personal

In 2007 Pierazzo married the scientist Keith Powell.

Publications

GR Osinski; E. Pierazzo: Impact Cratering: Processes and Products, 2012, ISBN 978-1-118-44732-1

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Pierazzo, Elisabetta
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Pierazzo, Betty (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Italian astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH	4th July 1963
PLACE OF BIRTH	Noale , Italy
DATE OF DEATH	May 15, 2011
Place of death	Tucson , Arizona