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Geoffrey
W. Marcy, Ph.D.
California Scientist
of the Year 2000
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BACK TO PAST WINNERS
The
2000 California Scientist of the Year is Geoffrey W. Marcy,
Ph.D., Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Center
for Integrative Planetary Science at the University of
California at Berkeley. Using high-power telescopes and
a special measuring technique, Dr. Marcy explores the
universe beyond the reaches of our solar system in search
of planets. Just a decade ago, many conventional astronomers
doubted that Dr. Marcy's search would ever be successful;
they thought that even if planets did exist outside our
solar system, we could never detect them. But since that
time, 55 extrasolar planets have been discovered—38
of those by Dr. Marcy's team.
"Professor
Marcy well deserves to be named California Scientist of
the Year. His name will appear in all future histories
of Astronomy."
-Frank
Drake
President,
SETI Institute
Research
Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, UC Santa Cruz
The
impact of Dr. Marcy's discoveries has energized not only
other astronomers, but also scientists in fields as widespread
as geology and biology. Knowledge of extrasolar planets
sparks new interest in planet formation and evolution,
as well as in their geophysics and chemistry. Also, the
reality of planets beyond our solar system excites scientists
who have spent much of their lives searching for or theorizing
about extraterrestrial life. Understanding that other
planets are out there brings hope that those worlds may
be home to living organisms that we haven't even imagined.
By
addressing so many major cosmic questions, Dr. Marcy has
captured the interest and imagination of a wide audience
through television appearances on programs such as Nova,
Nightline and CNN Newsstand, as well as
through articles in National Geographic, Scientific
American, Time and more. His discoveries lead
us closer to solving the deepest mysteries in the stars
and invite us to see the universe in a new way.
To
learn more about Dr. Marcy's work, check out these links:
Geoffrey
W. Marcy's Home Page
The
Search For Extrasolar Planets
Planet
Hunter Press Release
Salon
Interview with Dr. Marcy
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