Jason Steffen

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Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Expertise: Astronomy, Exoplanets, Cosmology, Dark matter and energy, Gravitation, General physics

Biography

Jason Steffen works in the field of exoplanets — planets that orbit distant stars. He has been a member of the science team for NASA's Kepler mission.  He continues to analyze data from that mission to understand the properties of planets and planetary systems. He also worked on projects related to dark matter, dark energy, and gravity.

Steffen is originally from Utah and attended graduate school in Seattle. Before coming to UNLV, he was the Lindheimer Fellow at Northwestern University and the Brinson Fellow at Fermilab outside of Chicago.

In addition to his work in astrophysics, he is known for the Steffen Method, a procedure to efficiently board passengers on an airplane.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Physics, University of Washington, Seattle
  • B.S. in Physics and Mathematic, Weber State University

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Jason Steffen In The News

What is perihelion? Here's what happens when Earth is nearest to the sun
National Geographic
At the start of the year, Earth will quietly reach a milestone in its orbit around the sun. Known as perihelion, this is the moment when our planet is closer to the sun than at any other point in the year.
An ‘Alien’ Comet Is Passing Through Our Solar System — Are We All Going to Die?
Fodor's Travel
If you’ve been following astronomy headlines, you might have noticed a curious new arrival to the neighborhood: Comet 3I/ATLAS. It’s not just another “regular” comet from the outer solar system–this one’s an interstellar visitor, meaning it was born around another star entirely.
This Week Offers Your Last Chance to See Comet Lemmon for More Than 1,300 Years
CNET
A pair of once-in-a-lifetime comets are rocketing through our skies right now, and it's a rare treat because they won't be back for hundreds of years. The comets, C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN), look similar. Both comets have already had their brightest nights on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21. But if you're out and about this final week of October, you can still spot these green gaseous globes and their streaming tails.
A Galaxy's Age Determines What Type Of Planets It Can Form
Universe Today
Metallicity is a fundamental part of the Universe. The Big Bang created mostly hydrogen, the simplest and lightest element, and a tiny bit of helium, the second lightest element. Those elements gather together in large quantities to form stars. For rocky planets to form, stars had to form first.
All Jason Steffen In The News

Articles Featuring Jason Steffen

UNLV Newsmakers 2025: October
Fall colors 2025
Campus News | November 10, 2025

Some of the biggest news headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

UNLV Newsmakers 2024: November
UNLV XMAS
Campus News | December 3, 2024

This month’s frosty headlines and highlights from the students and faculty of UNLV.

All Articles Featuring Jason Steffen