Asa Stahl portrait

Asa Stahl

Public Outreach Astronomer, The Planetary Society

+1-626-793-5100

Dr. Asa Stahl is an astrophysicist, award-winning children's book author, and science communicator. During his Ph.D. at Rice University, Asa worked to discover newborn planets around other stars in order to help clarify how worlds — including our own — come to be.

Asa began writing about space to share his curiosity. Throughout his Ph.D., Asa published two pop-astronomy children's books, was named a AAAS Mass Media Fellow, and contributed to outlets including Science News, Sky & Telescope, Google Arts & Culture, and the Houston Chronicle. His first children's book, "The Big Bang Book", is a Sakura Medal Finalist, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, ILA Nonfiction Honor book, and an Ezra Jack Keats Award nominee. His second book, "Picnic Planet: A Lunchtime Guide to Your Galaxy's Exoplanets", came out in 2023.

As The Planetary Society's Public Outreach Astronomer, Asa translates complex space science concepts into forms that are engaging and accessible for general audiences, ensures that outreach efforts are scientifically accurate, and serves as a representative to the public and the planetary science community. He is excited to further the mission of his role model, Carl Sagan, and aims to reshape society's relationship with space to be broader and more inclusive. 

To learn more, check out www.asastahl.com.

Latest Articles

Mars moon mission set to launch with tech funded by Planetary Society on board

The first mission to land on a moon of Mars could launch as soon as Oct. 19, carrying with it a sample collection instrument that The Planetary Society helped develop.

A guide to sidewalk astronomy

Our top tips on hosting your own sidewalk astronomy event.

Announcing our new STEP Grant winners: A Solar System shadow-tracker, a new telescope tool, and an asteroid database

Three groups of scientists will receive crowdfunded support to further the scientific exploration of space.

Latest Planetary Radio Appearances

From the Mojave to Phobos: PlanetVac rides with MMX

Japan’s MMX mission is about to launch for the moons of Mars, carrying a sampler with deep Planetary Society roots. Asa Stahl, public outreach astronomer at The Planetary Society, and Kris Zacny, vice president and senior research scientist at Honeybee Robotics, tell the story.

World Space Week and farewell to Swift

Dennis Stone, president and co-founder of the World Space Week Association, shares how the largest annual space event on Earth came to be and how you can join the celebration this October. Plus, Science Editor Asa Stahl walks us through the final chapter of the Swift space telescope.

Artemis II launches to the Moon

Four astronauts are on their way around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. This week on Planetary Radio we bring you the sounds of launch day and the voices of the people who made it happen.