Reta Beebe
Encyclopedia
Reta F. Beebe is an American
astronomer
, author
, and popularizer of astronomy
. She is an expert on the planets Jupiter
and Saturn
, and the author of Jupiter: The Giant Planet. She is a professor emeritus in the Astronomy Department at New Mexico State University
and 2010 winner of the NASA
Exceptional Public Service medal.
Beebe spent many years helping to plan and manage NASA missions, including the Voyager program
missions to the giant planets. Her specific research interest was the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. She designed experiments to the study and measure the clouds and winds of the ginat planets. She worked interpreting the Galileo and Cassini data and used the Hubble Space Telescope
to obtain additional atmospheric data on Jupiter and Saturn. She was a member of the Shoemaker/Levy
team at the Space Telescope Science Institute
in 1994 when it struck Jupiter. Formerly, she chaired the Committee for Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), which is the principal space committee of the United States National Research Council
. More recently she was involved with organizing the tremendous amount of data about the giant planets in NASA's Planetary Data System
. She is in charge of the Atmospheres Discipline Node of that program. her planetary data archiving skills have also been employed by the European Space Agency
. She serves on the steering committee of the International Planetary Data Alliance
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronomer
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...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and popularizer of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. She is an expert on the planets Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
and Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, and the author of Jupiter: The Giant Planet. She is a professor emeritus in the Astronomy Department at New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
and 2010 winner of the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Exceptional Public Service medal.
Beebe spent many years helping to plan and manage NASA missions, including the Voyager program
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
missions to the giant planets. Her specific research interest was the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. She designed experiments to the study and measure the clouds and winds of the ginat planets. She worked interpreting the Galileo and Cassini data and used the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
to obtain additional atmospheric data on Jupiter and Saturn. She was a member of the Shoemaker/Levy
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 was a comet that broke apart and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of solar system objects. This generated a large amount of coverage in the popular media, and the comet was closely observed by...
team at the Space Telescope Science Institute
Space Telescope Science Institute
The Space Telescope Science Institute is the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and for the James Webb Space Telescope...
in 1994 when it struck Jupiter. Formerly, she chaired the Committee for Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), which is the principal space committee of the United States National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
. More recently she was involved with organizing the tremendous amount of data about the giant planets in NASA's Planetary Data System
Planetary Data System
The Planetary Data System is a distributed data system that NASA uses to archive data collected by Solar System robotic missions and ground-based support data associated with those missions. PDS is managed by NASA Headquarters' Planetary Sciences Division. The PDS is an active archive that makes...
. She is in charge of the Atmospheres Discipline Node of that program. her planetary data archiving skills have also been employed by the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
. She serves on the steering committee of the International Planetary Data Alliance
International Planetary Data Alliance
International Planetary Data Alliance , founded in 2006, is a close co-operation partners in order to maintain the quality and performance for planetary research with instruments in space. Specific task will IPDA and universal access for the exchange of scientific data of high quality international...
.
Awards
- 1989 Westhafer Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research, or Creative Activity from New Mexico State University
- 1998 Dennis W. Darnall Faculty Achievement Award from New Mexico State University
- 2003 Harold Masursky AwardMasursky AwardThe Harold Masursky Award for Meritorious Service to Planetary Science, usually called the Masursky Award, is awarded annually by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society...
from the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical SocietyAmerican Astronomical SocietyThe American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC... - 2010 NASA Exceptional Public Service medal