Richard H. "Dick" Emmons (May 29, 1919 – June 29, 2005) was an American astronomer and engineer.Richard H. Emmons
at the SIA archives.Further Richard H. Emmons
at the SIA archives.

Biography

Life

Emmons was born on May 29, 1919. His father, Harry H. Emmons, was an

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

Stark County, Ohio Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 374,853. Its county seat is Canton. The county was created in 1808 and organized the next year. It is named for John Stark, an officer in th ...

. Emmons became interested in astronomy after reading a ''

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

'' article about the 1932 HA, an

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

that had recently travelled past Earth."Horizon - Special Memorial Issue, 2005"
/ref> He met his wife, Phyllis, through astronomy, of which they shared an interest. Emmons died on June 29, 2005, at the age of 86."Star-Gazing Scientist Built Planetariums, Richard H. Emmons Dies at 86; had Asteroid Named in his Honor", ''Beacon Journal'', 2005-07-02.

Career

Emmons worked at Kent State University as a teacher of astronomy and physics. He then became an engineer at the

Goodyear Aerospace Corporation Goodyear Aerospace Corporation (GAC) was the aerospace and defense subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The company was originally operated as a division within Goodyear as the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation, part of a joint project ...

. He was the team leader for the

North Canton North Canton is a city in central Stark County, Ohio, United States. The population was 17,842 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area. History In 1831, the Community of North Canton first began as the Villag ...

Moonwatch Team, and he established over twenty-three

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

Legacy

The "Richard H. Emmons Award", named for Emmons and consisting of a plaque and a $500 prize cheque, is awarded annually by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific to teachers of college astronomy. Eligible candidates must demonstrate outstanding achievement in teaching college-level introductory astronomy classes for non-science majors. The recipient is selected by the Awards Committee appointed by the Board of Directors. Should they deem that there is no one worthy in a given year, the Award is not given out that year. In February or March, the secretary of the Society will communicate with the nominee and, if the Award is accepted, it will be announced in the spring of award year. The most recent recipients of the Richard H. Emmons Award include: Terry A. Matilsky from Rutgers in 2012, Douglas Duncan from the University of Colorado and the Fiske Planetarium in 2010 and

Alex Filippenko Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko (; born July 25, 1958) is an American astrophysicist and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. Filippenko graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. He received a Ba ...

of the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. The main-belt asteroid 5391 Emmons was named in his honor.

References

External links

Richard H. Emmons biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emmons, Richard H. 1919 births 2005 deaths American astronomers American aerospace engineers 20th-century American engineers Kent State University faculty