William Kenneth Hartmann (born June 6, 1939) is a noted

planetary scientist Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their ...

, artist, author, and writer. He was the first to convince the scientific mainstream that the Earth had once been hit by a planet sized body ( Theia), creating both the Moon and the Earth's 23.5° tilt.'' Birth of the Planet, November 24, 2008, Channel 4

Early life and education

Hartmann was born in Pennsylvania in 1939. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in physics from

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

, and both a Master of Science degree (M.S.) in geology and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in astronomy from the University of Arizona.

Career

Hartmann's career spans over 40 years, from work in the early 1960s with Gerard Kuiper on Mare Orientale, and work on the

Mariner 9 Mariner 9 (Mariner Mars '71 / Mariner-I) was a robotic spacecraft that contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars and was part of the NASA Mariner program. Mariner 9 was launched toward Mars on May 30, 1971 from LC-36B at Cape Canaveral Air ...

Mars mapping project, to work on the Mars Global Surveyor imaging team. He is currently a senior scientist at the

Planetary Science Institute The Planetary Science Institute (PSI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute based in Tucson, Arizona, focusing on planetary science. , its director is Dr. Mark V. Sykes. PSI, along with Space Science Institute (SSI) Southwest Researc ...

. He has long been one of America's leading space artists (strongly influenced by

Chesley Bonestell Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. (January 1, 1888 – June 11, 1986) was an American painter, designer and illustrator. His paintings inspired the American space program, and they have been (and remain) influential in science fiction art and illustr ...

), and has written and illustrated numerous books on the

history of Earth The history of Earth concerns the development of planet Earth from its formation to the present day. Nearly all branches of natural science have contributed to understanding of the main events of Earth's past, characterized by constant geologi ...

and the Solar System, often in collaboration with artist Ron Miller. Hartmann is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists. His written work also includes textbooks, short fiction, and novels, the most recent being published in 2003. In 1997 he was the first recipient of the ''

Carl Sagan Medal The Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science is an award established by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society to recognize and honor outstanding communication by an active plane ...

for Excellence in Public Communication in

Planetary Science Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their f ...

'' from the

American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...

, Division for Planetary Sciences. Hartmann was a member of the 1966–1968 University of Colorado UFO Project (informally known as the Condon Committee), a controversial public study of

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

s sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. He primarily investigated photographic evidence, and rejected most as unreliable or inconclusive; in his studies published in the Committee's final report, he concluded two cases - Great Falls (motion pictures of two bright light sources difficult to reconcile with known aircraft) and McMinnville (two photographs of a saucer-shaped craft)Condon Report: Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (1968), 119. - were unexplained and particularly noteworthy as probative evidence of the reality of UFOs. Asteroid 3341 Hartmann is named after him.

Bibliography

* '' Out of the Cradle: Exploring the Frontiers beyond Earth'', with Ron Miller and Pamela Lee (1984) * ''The History of Earth: An illustrated chronicle of an evolving planet'', with Ron Miller (1991) * ''Mars Underground'', (1997) * ''The Grand Tour: A Traveler's Guide to the Solar System'', with Ron Miller (1st edition 1981, 2nd edition 1993, 3rd edition 2005)

References

External links

* *
William Hartmann's Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartmann, William K. 1939 births Living people People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Novelists from Pennsylvania 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American astronomers 21st-century American astronomers American science writers American science fiction writers American male novelists American UFO writers American artists Space artists Eberly College of Science alumni Planetary scientists Ufologists University of Arizona alumni American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century short story writers 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Barringer Medal winners American historical fiction writers

Early life and education

Career

Bibliography

See also

References

External links