Richard P. Binzel
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| Asteroids discovered: 3 | |
|---|---|
| 11868 Kleinrichert | October 2, 1989 |
| 13014 Hasslacher | November 17, 1987 |
| (29196) 1990 YY | December 19, 1990 |
Richard (Rick) P. Binzel is a Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the inventor of the Torino Scale, a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids and comets.
Binzel was awarded the H. C. Urey Prize by the American Astronomical Society in 1991. He also was awarded a MacVicar Faculty Fellowship[1] for teaching excellence at MIT in 1994.
Binzel was on the Planet Definition Committee[2] that developed the proposal to the International Astronomical Union's meeting in Prague in 2006 on whether Pluto should be considered a planet. Their proposal was revised during the meeting and Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet.
Dr. Binzel assists his family in raising guide dog puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. His favorite dog was his first, Norman.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ "Four more named MacVicar Fellows", MIT, 1994-02-09.
- ^ Robert Roy Britt (2006-08-14). Pluto's Fate to be Decided by 'Scientific and Simple' Planet Definition. SPACE.com.
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