PLANETARY SCIENCE
MY OTHER LIFE AS A PLANETARY SCIENTIST
At the early age of 6, I read The Golden Book of Astronomy, and decided that I wanted to be involved with space exploration, especially the exploration of the Solar System. I studied astronomy in college and found my passion in planetary sciences – the study of the Solar System and exoplanets – receiving my Ph.D. and working professionally in that field for most of my professional career. I have combined much adventure with my work as a planetary astronomer. I worked for two years at an observatory in Chile in the 1970s, concluding my time with backpacking around the southern part of South America. I spent over two months in Antarctica on a remote expedition to collect meteorites in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. I worked for NASA for over 20 years, and have served on scientific space probe teams, notably two Japanese satellites to near-Earth asteroids.
PICS FROM MY SCIENTIFIC YEARS
Speaking at a scientific meeting.
The international scientific team with a scale model of the Japanese Space agency JAXA's Hayabusa mission to near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa
I'm photographing a meteorite I've found on ice in the MacAlpine Hills, Antarctica.
Now I'm collecting the meteorite for transport back to the United States
Receiving the Division for Planetary Science, American Astronomical Society, Harold Masursky award from DPS Chair Cathy Olkin
Climbing up to look at the 6.5-m mirror in the MMT telescope