Peter GoldreichPeter Goldreich (born July 14, 1939) is an American astrophysicist whose research focuses on celestial mechanics, planetary rings, helioseismology and neutron stars. He is the Lee DuBridge Professor of Astrophysics and Planetary Physics at California Institute of Technology. Since 2005 he has also been a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Asteroid 3805 Goldreich is named after him.
American Museum of Natural HistoryThe American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium and a library.
Iapetus (moon)Iapetus () is the outermost of Saturn's large moons. With an estimated diameter of 1,469 km (913 mi), it is the third-largest moon of Saturn and the eleventh-largest in the Solar System. Named after the TitanIapetus from Greek mythology, the moon was discovered in 1671 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini.
Thomas GoldThomas Gold (May 22, 1920 – June 22, 2004) was an Austrian-born astrophysicist, who also held British and American citizenship. He was a professor of astronomy at Cornell University, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the Royal Society (London). Gold was one of three young Cambridge scientists who in 1948 proposed the now mostly abandoned "steady state" hypothesis of the universe.
Carl SaganCarl Edward Sagan (; SAY-gən; November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. Initially an assistant professor at Harvard, Sagan later moved to Cornell, where he was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. He played an active role in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager programs.
Phoebe (moon)Apparent magnitude16Absolute magnitude (H)6.66.59±0.026.71Phoebe ( ) is the most massive irregularsatellite of Saturn with a mean diameter of 213 km (132 mi). It was discovered by William Henry Pickering on 18 March 1899 from photographic plates that had been taken by DeLisle Stewart starting on 16 August 1898 at the Boyden Station of the Carmen Alto Observatory near Arequipa, Peru. It was the first natural satellite to be discovered photographically.
IAU definition of planetIn August 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted a new definition of the term planet, which stated that, in the Solar System, a planet is a celestial body that: is in orbit around the Sun,has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), andhas "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit.A non-satellite body fulfilling only the first two of these criteria (such as Pluto, which had hitherto been considered a planet) is classified as a dwarf planet and not a planet.
George O. AbellGeorge Ogden Abell (March 27, 1927 – October 7, 1983) was an American astronomer and professor. He taught at UCLA, primarily as a research astronomer. He earned his B.S. in 1951, his M.S. in 1952 and his Ph.D. in 1957, all from Caltech. He was a Ph.D. student under Donald Osterbrock. His astronomy career began as a tour guide at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
International Astronomical UnionThe International Astronomical Union (IAU; French: Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and development through global cooperation. It was founded on 28 July 1919 in Brussels, Belgium, and is based in Paris, France.
Cornell UniversityCornell University ( korr-NEHL) is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since its founding, Cornell University has been a co-educational and nonsectarian institution. As of fall 2024, the student body included 16,128 undergraduate and 10,665 postgraduate students from all 50 U.S. states and 130 countries.Joseph A. BurnsJoseph Burns (March 22, 1941 – February 26, 2025) was a professor at Cornell University with a dual appointment in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and the Astronomy department. His primary area of research was dynamics in planetary sciences.Bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin baccalaureus; or baccalaureate, from Modern Latin baccalaureatus) is an undergraduate degree awarded by higher education institutions upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years (depending on the institution and academic discipline). The two most common bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS or BSc).
New York UniversityNew York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a non-denominational all-male institution near City Hall based on a curriculum focused on a secular education. The university moved in 1833 and has maintained its main campus in Greenwich Village surrounding Washington Square Park.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.