Richard H. Emmons | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 29, 1919 |
| Died | June 29, 2005(2005-06-29) (aged 86) |
| Known for | Established 23 planetariums |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy,engineering |
Richard H. "Dick" Emmons (May 29, 1919 – June 29, 2005) was an Americanastronomer andengineer.[1][2][3]
Emmons was born on May 29, 1919. His father, Harry H. Emmons, was anattorney inStark County, Ohio. Emmons became interested in astronomy after reading aPopular Science article about the 1932 HA, anasteroid that had recently travelled pastEarth.[1][4] He met his wife, Phyllis, through astronomy, of which they shared an interest. Emmons died on June 29, 2005, at the age of 86.[5][6]
Emmons worked atKent State University as a teacher ofastronomy andphysics. He then became an engineer at theGoodyear Aerospace Corporation. He was the team leader for theNorth CantonMoonwatch Team, and he established over twenty-threeplanetariums.[1]
The "Richard H. Emmons Award", named for Emmons and consisting of aplaque and a $500 prizecheque, is awarded annually by theAstronomical Society of the Pacific to teachers of college astronomy.[7] 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.[8] 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 fromRutgers in 2012, Douglas Duncan from theUniversity of Colorado and the Fiske Planetarium in 2010 andAlex Filippenko of theUniversity of California, Berkeley in 2008.[9]
The main-belt asteroid5391 Emmons was named in his honor.[3]