59th Annual STS (1999–2000)
Finalists
Elizabeth Michal Epstein

MARYLAND
Elizabeth Michal Epstein, 17, of Chevy Chase, has been chosen as a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search for her earth and space sciences project entry. The project grew out of her frustration during a summer science program with the faulty data she had to work with to determine the orbit of asteroids. Some 20,000-plus of these minor planets are whirling around the sun and their orbits are of great interest to astronomers, particularly those asteroids that might collide with the earth. While the well-established Gaussian method for determining asteroid orbits is accurate, slight deviations in early observations can throw off later calculations that may not be adjusted correctly for years. Lizzie developed a way to more quickly and accurately predict asteroid orbits through more frequent, better-timed observations. Such improvements in accuracy could give earlier warning of an asteroid on a trajectory toward earth. Her research could help global positioning satellites (GPS) establish an individual's location more quickly. She attends Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, plays the piano and trombone and participates in soccer, softball and tennis. Lizzie hopes to attend Stanford University and become a neurobiologist. Her parents are David and Ruth Epstein.