Pranvera Hyseni is a planetary astronomer and Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. Her research combines NASA telescope observations, laboratory spectroscopy, and geochemical modeling to investigate organic matter in asteroids, with the broader goal of tracing how water and organics formed and moved through early planetesimals, shaping the ingredients for life.

In 2020, she discovered the main-belt asteroid 2020 SS13. In addition to her academic research, she conducts astrometry and time-critical observations using her own observing equipment.

She is the founder of Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo, the country’s first astronomy organization, and runs Astronomy with Pran, through which she leads hands-on astronomy education and public engagement programs.

Pran is also an official brand ambassador for Celestron.

Topic: Water and Organics on Asteroids: Insights from Planetary Astronomy

Hydrated asteroids preserve evidence of water-rock interactions that occurred early in Solar System history and provide important clues about the distribution of water and organic material on small bodies. This presentation introduces current research on the spectral properties of hydrated asteroids, with a focus on identifying signatures of water-related minerals and soluble organic matter. Using a combination of telescope observations and laboratory studies, this work aims to better understand the processes that shaped these asteroids and their role in the broader context of planetary formation and habitability.

Bonus Topic: Pran will also give a brief summary of her work on establishing Kosovo’s first national observatory and planetarium.