A leader in the study of distant supernovae has been awarded the 2025 Caroline Herschel Medal for outstanding women astrophysicists in the UK and Germany.
Lancaster Professor of Astrophysics Isobel Hook received the joint award from the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and the German Astronomical Society.
She said: "I am thrilled to have been chosen for this award. International collaboration, which the Caroline Herschel Medal celebrates, has been essential to all the projects I have worked on."
Professor Hook has been instrumental in advancing the field through her significant roles in major international collaborations. Her work with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) has enhanced our ability to probe the faintest and most distant cosmic phenomena, while her contributions to 4MOST, Euclid and the Rubin Observatory advance large-scale surveys of dark energy and galaxy evolution.
Her involvement in the future Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) further strengthens her reputation as a visionary in the development of next-generation astronomical facilities.
As a dedicated educator and mentor, and leader of the Lancaster Astrophysics group, Professor Hook inspires the next generation of astronomers and fosters global scientific collaboration.
Her work epitomizes the spirit of discovery and excellence celebrated by the Caroline Herschel Medal, honouring her profound impact on astronomy and her enduring legacy in the scientific community.
President of the Royal Astronomical Society Professor Mike Lockwood said: "I am absolutely thrilled that Isobel Hook is this year's winner of the Caroline Herschel Medal. Isobel maintains that truly exceptional standard. She has authored 180 refereed papers which have garnered over 47,000 citations from other scientists, pioneering studies of the faintest and furthest of the known objects in the universe.
"She also works hard to inspire younger scientists and to make sure they have the instruments and techniques that will make further discoveries, helping to unravel the great mysteries of astronomy and cosmology, such as dark energy."
President of the German Astronomical Society Professor Stefanie Walch-Gassner said: "Professor Hook's remarkable contributions to astrophysics and her leadership in major international collaborations have profoundly shaped our understanding of the universe. We are honoured to recognise her achievements."
The Caroline Herschel Medal honours the longstanding scientific cooperation between Germany and the UK, having been launched in 2021 to celebrate outstanding research by women astrophysicists in both countries. The prize alternates each year between researchers in the UK and Germany.
The award commemorates the legacy of Caroline Herschel, who was a distinguished astronomer working in the late 18th and the first half of the 19th century.
Professor Hook will be awarded the Caroline Herschel Medal 2025 at a ceremony in London on March 13.
