Stuart Ross Taylor (26 November 1925 – 23 May 2021) was a New Zealand
geochemist
Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the e ...
and
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 ...
known for his studies of the
geology of the Moon
The geology of the Moon (sometimes called selenology, although the latter term can refer more generally to " lunar science") is quite different from that of Earth. The Moon lacks a true atmosphere, which eliminates erosion due to weather. It does ...
through
lunar samples
Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon".
Lunar may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games
* "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta
* "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...
, the
continental crust
Continental crust is the layer of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks that forms the geological continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves. This layer is sometimes called '' sial'' be ...
,
tektites
Tektites (from grc, τηκτός , meaning 'molten') are gravel-sized bodies composed of black, green, brown or grey natural glass formed from terrestrial debris ejected during meteorite impacts. The term was coined by Austrian geologist Franz ...
and the
evolution of the Solar System
The formation of the Solar System began about 4.6 billion years ago with the gravitational collapse of a small part of a giant molecular cloud. Most of the collapsing mass collected in the center, forming the Sun, while the rest flattened into ...
. He was an
emeritus professor and Visiting Fellow at
the Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
in
Canberra. He died in Canberra on 23 May 2021 at the age of 95.
Honours and awards
*
5670 Rosstaylor
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Year 567 ( DLXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 567 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar er ...
, a
main-belt asteroid
The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, called ...
discovered in 1985.
* Shoemaker Distinguished Lunar Scientist Award, 2012
Further reading
*
Taylor, Stuart Ross (Ross) - Biographical entryin Encyclopedia of Australian Science
References
1925 births
2021 deaths
New Zealand geochemists
Australian National University faculty
People from Ashburton, New Zealand
University of Canterbury alumni
Indiana University alumni
Honorary Companions of the Order of Australia
Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
New Zealand expatriates in Australia
Recipients of the V. M. Goldschmidt Award
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