Blast off into an exciting evening of discovery with planetary astronomer Pranvera Hyseni! A Ph.D. candidate at UC Santa Cruz, Hyseni’s research focuses on understanding on the formation histories of asteroids, comets, and meteorites through spectroscopy analysis — and she even has an asteroid named after her!

Ms. Hyseni brought science to her community by establishing the nonprofit organization Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo in 2015. She is the founder of the Kosovo’s first observatory and planetarium, featuring a Celestron C14 Edge HD telescope, the largest telescope in the Republic of Kosovo. Pranvera’s research achievements extend to her discovery of a Main Belt asteroid, 2020 SS13, by using data provided by PAN-STARRS in collaboration with the International Asteroid Search Collaboration.

Ms. Hyseni’s dedication to advancing science education, outreach, and astronomical research marks her as a notable figure in the scientific community. Highly regarded for her expertise, she is in high demand at universities and international astronomy conferences worldwide. As a testament to her profound impact, she serves as the Official Brand Ambassador for Celestron, inspiring countless individuals with the wonders of the universe.