R. Paul Butler
Encyclopedia
R. Paul Butler is an astronomer
who searches for extrasolar planet
s.
He received a BA and an MS from San Francisco State University
, completing a Master's thesis with Geoffrey Marcy
, and then completed his doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, College Park
in 1993. His graduate work focused on the design of the very sensitive spectrograph
required to detect extrasolar planets by detecting variations in the radial velocity
of their parent stars. Since 1999 he has been a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science
.
In 2001 Butler and Marcy were awarded the Henry Draper Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
. He was named Discover Magazines "Space Scientist of the Year" in 2003.
As a high school student in 1977, Dr. Butler learned techniques of orbit calculation when he attended the Summer Science Program
.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
who searches for extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
s.
He received a BA and an MS from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, completing a Master's thesis with Geoffrey Marcy
Geoffrey Marcy
Geoffrey W. Marcy is an American astronomer, who is currently Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, famous for discovering more extrasolar planets than anyone else, 70 out of the first 100 to be discovered, along with R...
, and then completed his doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in 1993. His graduate work focused on the design of the very sensitive spectrograph
Spectrograph
A spectrograph is an instrument that separates an incoming wave into a frequency spectrum. There are several kinds of machines referred to as spectrographs, depending on the precise nature of the waves...
required to detect extrasolar planets by detecting variations in the radial velocity
Radial velocity
Radial velocity is the velocity of an object in the direction of the line of sight . In astronomy, radial velocity most commonly refers to the spectroscopic radial velocity...
of their parent stars. Since 1999 he has been a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science
Carnegie Institution for Science
The Carnegie Institution for Science is an organization in the United States established to support scientific research....
.
In 2001 Butler and Marcy were awarded the Henry Draper Medal
Henry Draper Medal
The Henry Draper Medal is awarded by the United States National Academy of Sciences "for investigations in astronomical physics". Named after Henry Draper, the medal is awarded with a gift of USD $15,000...
from the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
. He was named Discover Magazines "Space Scientist of the Year" in 2003.
As a high school student in 1977, Dr. Butler learned techniques of orbit calculation when he attended the Summer Science Program
Summer Science Program
The Summer Science Program is an intense six-week summer program for intellectually talented high school students. The program is based on a collaborative research project in celestial mechanics. Students study astronomy, physics, spherical trigonometry, and calculus while working to take...
.
External links
- Paul Butler's homepage at the Carnegie Institution for ScienceCarnegie Institution for ScienceThe Carnegie Institution for Science is an organization in the United States established to support scientific research....