Jay Myron Pasachoff (July 1, 1943 – November 20, 2022) was an American
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
. Pasachoff was Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...
and the author of textbooks and tradebooks in
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
,
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
, mathematics, and other sciences.
Biography
After the Bronx High School of Science, Pasachoff studied at
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, receiving his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in 1963, his master's degree in 1965, and his doctorate in 1969. His doctoral thesis was titled ''Fine Structure in the Solar Chromosphere''.
He worked at the
Harvard College Observatory
The Harvard College Observatory (HCO) is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United St ...
and
Caltech
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
before going to
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...
in 1972. His sabbaticals and other leaves have been at the
University of Hawaii
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
’s Institute for Astronomy, the
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris The Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (translated: Paris Institute of Astrophysics) is a research institute in Paris, France. The Institute is part of the Sorbonne University and is associated with the CNRS Centre national de la recherche scientifi ...
, the
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholar ...
in
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
, the
Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
,
Caltech
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
, and most recently at th
Carnegie Observatories also in Pasadena. He has taken a leading role in the science and history of transits of Mercury and Venus, as an analogue to exoplanet studies, leading up to the transit of Venus, and the 2016 and 2019 transits of Mercury.
Jay Pasachoff on solar eclipses: "Each time is like going to the seventh game of the World Series with the score tied in the ninth inning."
Pasachoff died on November 20, 2022, at the age of 79.
Work
Pasachoff observed with a wide variety of ground-based telescopes and
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
, and reported on those activities in writing his texts. Pasachoff carried out extensive scientific work
at total
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...
s, and championed the continued contemporary scientific value of solar eclipse research.
His research was sponsored by the
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
,
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
, and the
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...
.
He was Chair of the Working Group on Eclipses of the
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
of the Sun and Heliosphere Division and of the Education, Outreach, and Heritage Division. His solar work also included studies of the
solar chromosphere
A chromosphere ("sphere of color") is the second layer of a star's atmosphere, located above the photosphere and below the solar transition region and corona. The term usually refers to the Sun's chromosphere, but not exclusively.
In the Su ...
, backed by NASA grants, using NASA spacecraft and the 1-m
Swedish Solar Telescope
The Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (or SST) is a refracting solar telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma in the Canary Islands. It is run by the Institute for Solar Physics of Stockholm University. The primary element is a single f ...
on
La Palma
La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...
, Canary Islands, Spain. With Richard Cohen and his sister, Nancy Pasachoff, Pasachoff wrote in 1970 an article for ''
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...
'' discussing that the belief in the supernatural such as horoscopes impede the growth of science.
He collaborated with a professor of art history, Roberta J. M. Olson of the
New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum ...
, on astronomical images in the
art of Renaissance Italy,
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, the U.S. (eclipse oil paintings), and elsewhere.
Jay and Naomi Pasachoff wrote a review of Alexander Borodin’s solar-inspired opera for ''
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...
'' produced by the New York Metropolitan Opera in 2014.
Also with his wife, Naomi, Pasachoff wrote biographies of
Henry Norris Russell
Henry Norris Russell ForMemRS HFRSE FRAS (October 25, 1877 – February 18, 1957) was an American astronomer who, along with Ejnar Hertzsprung, developed the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram (1910). In 1923, working with Frederick Saunders, he deve ...
,
John Pond
John Pond FRS (1767 – 7 September 1836) was a renowned English astronomer who became the sixth Astronomer Royal, serving from 1811 to 1835.
Biography
Pond was born in London and, although the year of his birth is known, the records indica ...
,
Hypatia
Hypatia, Koine pronunciation (born 350–370; died 415 AD) was a neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was a prominent thinker in Alexandria wher ...
,
and
Edward Williams Morley for the
Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Their books and other publications are listed at http://solarcorona.com as links to publishers’ websites.
Pasachoff received the 2003 Education Prize of 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 ...
, "For his eloquent and informative writing of textbooks from junior high through college, For his devotion to teaching generations of students, For sharing with the world the joys of observing eclipses, For his many popular books and articles on astronomy, For his intense advocacy on behalf of science education in various forums, For his willingness to go into educational nooks where no astronomer has gone before, the AAS Education Prize is awarded to Jay M. Pasachoff."
Asteroid
5100 Pasachoff recognizes Pasachoff's astronomical accomplishments. In addition to his college astronomy texts, Pasachoff wrote ''Peterson Field Guide to the Stars and Planets'',
was co-author of ''Peterson Field Guide to Weather'',
and was author or coauthor of textbooks in calculus and in physics, as well as several junior-high-school textbooks.
Pasachoff received the 2012
Prix-Jules–Janssen from the
Société astronomique de France,
"for your outstanding research, teaching and popularisation of Astronomy, in the spirit with which Camille Flammarion created the award back in 1897."
He received the 2017
Richtmyer Memorial Award The Richtmyer Memorial Award is an award for physics education, named for physicist Floyd K. Richtmyer and given annually by the American Association of Physics Teachers. Its recipients include over 15 Nobel Prize winners.
Establishment and award ...
from the American Association of Physics Teachers "for outstanding contributions to physics and effectively communicating those contributions to physics educators."
He received the 2019 Klumpke-Roberts Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific "for his contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy", based in part on his role at the times of solar eclipses, when "Jay becomes astronomy's cheerleader-in-chief, allowing more and more people to become interested and engaged in the field."
Pasachoff collaborated with scientists from Williams College and MIT to observe the atmospheres of outer
planet
A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
s and their
moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
s, including
Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...
, its moon
Charon
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (; grc, Χάρων) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of Hades, the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the wo ...
,
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...
’s moon
Triton
Triton commonly refers to:
* Triton (mythology), a Greek god
* Triton (moon), a satellite of Neptune
Triton may also refer to:
Biology
* Triton cockatoo, a parrot
* Triton (gastropod), a group of sea snails
* ''Triton'', a synonym of ''Triturus' ...
, and other objects in the outer
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
. He has also used
radio astronomy
Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects at radio frequencies. The first detection of radio waves from an astronomical object was in 1933, when Karl Jansky at Bell Telephone Laboratories reported radiation comin ...
made observations of the interstellar medium with scientists from Hofstra University and elsewhere, concentrating on
deuterium
Deuterium (or hydrogen-2, symbol or deuterium, also known as heavy hydrogen) is one of two Stable isotope ratio, stable isotopes of hydrogen (the other being Hydrogen atom, protium, or hydrogen-1). The atomic nucleus, nucleus of a deuterium ato ...
.
Pasachoff was active in educational and curriculum matters. He was U.S. National Liaison to and was President (2003–2006) Commission on Education and Development, which is now Commission C1 on Astronomy Education and Development of Division C on Education, Outreach, and Heritage, of the
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
br>
He was twice Chair of the Astronomy Division of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...
, and was on the astronomy committees of 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 ...
(and its representative 2004–2013 to the AAAS), the
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...
, and the
American Association of Physics Teachers
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was founded in 1930 for the purpose of "dissemination of knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." There are more than 10,000 members in over 30 countries. AAPT publications includ ...
. He was on the Council of Advisors of th
Astronomy Education Review He spearheaded a discussion of what should be taught in astronomy courses, championing the position of including and emphasizing contemporary astronomy.
He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the
International Planetarium Society, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...
,
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and the
Royal Astronomical Society
(Whatever shines should be observed)
, predecessor =
, successor =
, formation =
, founder =
, extinction =
, merger =
, merged =
, type = NGO ...
, and he has held a
Getty Fellowship.
He was elected a Legacy Fellow of 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 ...
in 2020.
He lectured widely, including a stint as a
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...
Distinguished Lecturer. He was also Director of th
Hopkins Observatoryand (in rotation, currently beginning in the fall semester of 2019) Chair of the Astronomy Department at Williams.
Pasachoff was Chair of the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society (2013-2015). He was on the Organizing Committee for Commission C.C3 on the History of Astronomy of the International Astronomical Union (2015-2018) and on the Johannes Kepler Working Group. A catalogue of the Jay and Naomi Pasachoff rare-book collection—including works by Copernicus, Tycho, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Fraunhofer, and Einstein—on deposit in the Chapin Library of Williams College (W. Hammond, 2014).
Personal life
In 1974, Pasachoff married Naomi (née Schwartz) in a Jewish ceremony. His wife. Dr. Naomi Pasachoff (1947–), is an astronomer and the daughter of economist
Anna Schwartz
Anna Jacobson Schwartz (pronounced ; November 11, 1915 – June 21, 2012) was an American economist who worked at the National Bureau of Economic Research in New York City and a writer for ''The New York Times''. Paul Krugman has said that Schwar ...
. Their daughter, Eloise Pasachoff, is a research Professor of law at
Georgetown Law
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment a ...
.
Selected publications
*
The Sun', co-authored with Leon Golub (Reaktion Books, London, for the Science Museum, London, 2017)
*
', co-authored with Roberta J. M. Olson (Reaktion Books, London, and U. Chicago Books, Chicago, 2019)
*
Peterson Field Guide to the Stars and Planets', 4th ed. 2021 update (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016)
*
Peterson Field Guide to Weather' with Jay Anderson and John A. Day (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021)
*
The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium', co-authored with Alexei V. Filippenko (5th edition, Cambridge University Press, 2019),
co-authored with Leon Golub (
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
, 2010) ; 1997 1st edition
* ''Innovation in Astronomy Education'', co-edited with Rosa M. Ros and Naomi Pasachoff (Cambridge University Press, 2008)
* ''Peterson First Guide to Astronomy'', 2nd ed. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013)
* ''Teaching and Learning of Astronomy: Effective Strategies for Educators Worldwide'', co-edited with John Percy (Cambridge University Press, 2005)
*
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Sun' (
Alpha Books
Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Random House, is an American publisher best known for its Complete Idiot's Guides series. It began as a division of Macmillan. Pearson Education acquired Macmillan General Reference from Simon & Schuster in 1999 ...
, 2003)
* ''Nearest Star: The Exciting Science of Our Sun'', co-authored with Leon Golub (
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
, 2001) , 2nd edition, 2014,
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
* ''The Teaching of Astronomy'', co-edited with John Percy (Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition, 1992)
*
Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and Science', co-authored with Roberta J. M. Olson, both beneficiaries of
Getty Fellowships, (Cambridge University Press, 1998)
* ''Earth Science'', co-authored with Naomi Pasachoff and Tim Cooney (
Scott Foresman
Scott Foresman was an elementary educational publisher for PreK through Grade 6 in all subject areas. Its titles are now owned by Savvas Learning Company which formed from former Pearson Education K12 division. The old Glenview headquarters o ...
, 1990)
* ''Physical Science'', co-authored with Naomi Pasachoff and Tim Cooney (Scott Foresman, 1990)
See also
*Asteroid
5100 Pasachoff
*Asteroid
68109 Naomipasachoff
*
Richard Wolfson (physicist), co-author of a physics textbook with Pasachoff
References
External links
Pasachoff's web site at WilliamsSolarcorona.comon th
Meade 4M Communityweb site
*
By Jay M. Pasachoff, Published in The New York Times: July 9, 2010
9 Things You Should Know about Our Universe Williams Alumni Bulletin, By Jay M. Pasachoff, Published: September 2011, 30–31.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pasachoff, Jay
1943 births
2022 deaths
The Bronx High School of Science alumni
Harvard College alumni
American astronomers
American Jews
American textbook writers
American male non-fiction writers
American skeptics
Williams College faculty
Scientists from New York City
Harvard College Observatory people
California Institute of Technology people
Fellows of the American Physical Society
Fellows of the American Astronomical Society
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni