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Aaronson MarcAmerican astronomer
Date of Birth: 24.08.1950
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Mark Aaronson
- Academic and Research Career
- Determining the Hubble constant (H0) using the Tully-Fisher Relation
- Visualizing dark matter through thermal imaging
- George van Biesbroeck Prize (1981)
- Legacy
Mark Aaronson
Early Life and EducationMark Aaronson was born in Los Angeles, California. He pursued his education at the California Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1972. He then obtained a PhD from Harvard University in 1977, with a dissertation on aperture photometry of galaxies in the near-infrared.
Academic and Research Career
After completing his PhD, Aaronson embarked on a post-doctoral fellowship at the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona. In 1988, he was appointed an associate professor of astronomy. Aaronson's research spanned three primary areas:
Determining the Hubble constant (H0) using the Tully-Fisher Relation
Investigating carbon stars and their velocity distributions in dwarf spheroidal galaxies
Visualizing dark matter through thermal imaging
Awards and HonorsThroughout his career, Aaronson received numerous accolades for his groundbreaking work:
George van Biesbroeck Prize (1981)
Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy (1984)Bart J. Bok Prize (1983)
Tragic Accident
Aaronson's life was tragically cut short on April 30, 1987, when he was fatally injured in an accident at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. While working in the dome of the four-meter Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope, he was crushed by a hatch leading to the catwalk. The hatch had automatically closed upon his entry, but the dome's momentum carried on, causing an external staircase to collide with the opening hatch.
Legacy
In recognition of his contributions to astronomy, the asteroid "3277 Aaronson" was named in his honor. His untimely death prompted the creation of the Darwin Awards, which recognize individuals whose death occurs in an extraordinarily absurd or foolish manner. Despite the circumstances of his passing, Mark Aaronson's scientific legacy continues to inspire and inform astronomers worldwide.
