Jens Martin Knudsen

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This article is about the Danish astrophysicist. For the Faroese football (soccer) player, see Jens Martin Knudsen (footballer).

Jens Martin Knudsen (October 12, 1930 - February 17, 2005) was an internationally renowned Danish astrophysicist, particularly well known in his home country.

Born in Haurum near Aarhus, he was author or co-author of more than 100 scientific articles, and a long time advisor to NASA.

Originally educated as a school teacher, but in 1962 got his degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Copenhagen. From 1970 to 1973 he worked for UNESCO as a teacher of mathematics in Brazil and Turkey. In later years he became known as Marsmanden (the Martian) on account of his great enthusiasm towards recent missions to the planet Mars. In 2002 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Planetary science at the University of Aarhus. At his death he was also Professor Emeritus at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen.

In 2003 Jens Kerte wrote a biography of Knudsen entitled Mars og Marsmanden (Mars and the Martian) which includes three interviews with Knudsen himself.