31:
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mission to
Jupiter, where he was responsible for defining the mission objectives and recommending the instruments and science investigations that were selected for this mission. He also served as Deputy Associate Administrator for what is now called the NASA Science Mission Directorate. At NASA Ames,
444:
Morrison is author of leading college undergraduate texts in astronomy and planetary science. He is a popular public writer and lecturer, promoting a scientific and fact-based perspective about such topics as
Emmanuel Velikovsky's pseudocosmology, the evolution-creationist conflict, climate change
1090:
368:, discovery of the fundamental division of the asteroids into dark (primitive) and light (stony) classes, and the first quantitative estimate of the cosmic impact hazard. Morrison was also co-chair of the first
416:
David
Morrison has held a variety of senior science management positions at NASA Headquarters in Washington and at Ames Research Center in California. In Washington he was the first Program Scientist for the
475:
543:
In 2015, David
Morrison received the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) Education Prize in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the education of the public, students and future astronomers.
400:
from 1969 until 1988, when he joined the senior management staff of NASA Ames
Research Center in Mountain View, CA. While on the faculty of the University of Hawaiʻi, Morrison spent two sabbaticals at the
1080:
880:
452:, an apocalyptic hoax, which he initially expected to be a short-lived phenomenon but which "keeps popping up" and is the subject of an estimated two million websites. He launched a
448:
As a science communicator, he frequently debunks myths of mystery planets. In interviews in 2011 and 2017, Morrison explained that he receives five emails a day about a supposed
501:, Chair of the Division for Planetary Science of the American Astronomical Society, President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Chair of the Astronomy Section of the
502:
156:
136:
517:
195:'s website where he provides answers to questions submitted by the public. He has published 12 books and over 150 papers primarily on planetary science, astrobiology and
854:
1095:
348:
and served for two years as
University Vice Chancellor for Research. His research accomplishments include demonstration of the uniform high surface temperature of
456:
video about the 2012 hoax telling the public that they have nothing to worry about. The video was briefly featured in the opening credits of the 2013 film
221:
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David
Morrison was born in Danville, Illinois on June 26, 1940. He attended elementary and high school in Danville and graduated from the
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for his contributions to science education. NASA has also awarded him
Outstanding Leadership medals twice as well as the
237:
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132:
187:. Morrison is best known for his work in risk assessment of near Earth objects such as asteroids and comets. Asteroid
905:
505:, and both President of Commission 16 (Planets and Satellites) and of the Working Group on Near Earth Objects of the
226:
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he has been Chief of the Space
Science Division, Director Space, and most recently the founding Director of the
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745:"Surface Properties of Asteroids: A Synthesis of Polarimetry, Radiometry, and Spectrophotometry,"
989:
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The
Spaceguard Survey: Report of the NASA International Near-Earth-Object Detection Workshop
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701:"Venus: Absence of a Phase Effect at a 2 centimeter Wavelength," Science 163: 815 817, 1969
1017:
984:
881:"Please stop annoying this NASA scientist with your ridiculous Planet X doomsday theories"
383:
379:
413:, and two assignments in space science management at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC.
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in 1962. He studied astronomy at Harvard University and received his Ph.D. in 1969, with
191:
was named in his honor. Morrison is also known for his "Ask an Astrobiologist" series on
797:
Disinformation about Global Warmingâ, Skeptical Inquirer Volume 34.2, March / April 2010
611:
172:
128:
30:
1054:
732:"lo: Observational Constraints on Internal Energy and Thermophysics of the Surface,"
188:
626:"Frequently Asked Questions :: Ask an Astrobiologist :: NASA Astrobiology"
1027:
513:
372:
184:
114:
76:
364:, first ground-based measurements of the heat flow from Jupiter's volcanic moon
240:. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced
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959:
321:
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152:
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1024:
Debunker of Doomsday: NASA scientist tries to talk some sense into the world
365:
180:
486:; also a supporter (and member of the Advisory Council, since 2013) of the
917:
855:"Will the mysterious shadow planet Nibiru obliterate Earth in October? No"
428:. His responsibilities included the major NASA missions Lunar Pathfinder,
1045:
183:. Morrison is credited as a founder of the multi-disciplinary field of
453:
353:
95:
Dryden Medal, Sagan Medal, Presidential Meritorious Senior Professional
758:"Impacts on the Earth by Asteroids and Comets: Assessing the Hazardâ
808:
410:
357:
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University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni
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Free open-source astronomy textbook co-authored by David Morrison
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Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
971:
369:
192:
723:"Pluto: Evidence for Methane Frost," Science 194: 835 837, 1976
206:
1035:
Public Lecture on "Doomsday 2012" and the Rise of Cosmophobia
688:"Evaluation of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, as an Observatory Site,"
87:
detection, defense against asteroids, scientific skepticism
828:"Believers In Mysterious Planet Nibiru Await Earth's End"
356:
has a large internal heat source while its âtwinâ planet
972:
Morrison's outreach video debunking 2012 doomsday claims
784:"Only a Theory: Framing the Evolution-Creation Debateâ,
690:
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
360:
does not, determination of the surface composition of
666:"Distinguished NASA scientist to present public talk"
392:
space science missions. He was on the faculty of the
710:"Temperatures of Uranus and Neptune at 24 Microns,"
1081:
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
503:
American Association for the Advancement of Science
340:from 1969 until 1988. He also directed the 3-meter
157:
Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute
137:
Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute
120:
106:
91:
72:
62:
40:
21:
937:"David Morrison Honored with AAS Education Awardâ
518:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
171:Center for Study of Life in the Universe at the
1042:, part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures
8:
645:
643:
641:
639:
167:. Morrison is the former director of the
29:
18:
606:. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
304:Learn how and when to remove this message
806:"Doomsday 2012, Nibiru, and Cosmophobiaâ
490:. He is also a Scientist Trustee of the
1096:Institute for Astronomy (Hawaii) people
552:
445:denialism, and the 2012 doomsday hoax.
378:He served as a science investigator on
332:Morrison was Professor of Astronomy at
318:University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
179:. He is the past Director of Space at
914:National Center for Science Education
561:"David Morrison Joins SETI Institute"
488:National Center for Science Education
7:
1020:(Director, Carl Sagan Center @ SETI)
253:"David Morrison" astrophysicist
151:(born June 26, 1940) is an American
79:, planetary exploration, search for
995:Disinformation about Global Warming
826:Wolchover, Nathalie (5 July 2011).
534:Astronomical Society of the Pacific
997:Volume 34.2, March/April 2010, on
579:"David Morrison, Senior Scientist"
528:for public Communication, and the
497:He has served as Councilor of the
14:
941:Vol 9. N03, page 11,May/June 2015
507:International Astronomical Union
342:NASA Infrared Telescope Facility
211:
484:Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
480:California Academy of Sciences
403:Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
398:University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄnoa
338:University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄnoa
1:
1086:American planetary scientists
538:Presidential Meritorious Rank
526:American Astronomical Society
499:American Astronomical Society
492:California Academy of Science
375:Roadmap workshop and report.
961:The Science of Doomsday 2012
426:NASA Lunar Science Institute
222:biography of a living person
177:NASA Lunar Science Institute
155:, a senior scientist at the
133:NASA Lunar Science Institute
939:Skeptical Inquirer Magazine
242:must be removed immediately
1112:
651:"David Morrison Biography"
834:. Life's Little Mysteries
165:Mountain View, California
161:NASA Ames Research Center
142:
125:NASA Ames Research Center
99:
28:
1071:American astrophysicists
956:(Questions and Answers)
440:Professional activities
394:Institute for Astronomy
334:Institute for Astronomy
324:as his thesis advisor.
628:. NASA. Archived from
512:Morrison received the
464:novel of the same name
236:Please help by adding
35:David Morrison in 2022
999:climate change denial
954:Ask an Astrobiologist
712:Astrophysical Journal
530:Klumpke-Roberts Award
407:University of Arizona
352:, the discovery that
346:Mauna Kea Observatory
231:references or sources
81:extraterrestrial life
516:for research of the
462:, based on the 2006
885:The Washington Post
859:The Washington Post
771:"Velikovsky at 50â
664:Kloeppel, James E.
612:1992STIN...9234245M
328:Astronomical career
16:American astronomer
1016:2012-03-07 at the
993:, example article
990:Skeptical Inquirer
983:2017-07-02 at the
906:"Advisory Council"
786:Skeptical Inquirer
714:179: 329 331, 1973
220:This section of a
197:near Earth objects
67:Harvard University
56:Danville, Illinois
749:25: 104 130, 1975
736:44: 226 233, 1980
692:85: 255 267, 1973
670:news.illinois.edu
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111:Planetary science
101:Scientific career
85:Near-Earth object
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916:. Archived from
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522:Carl Sagan Medal
450:Nibiru cataclysm
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238:reliable sources
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1018:Wayback Machine
985:Wayback Machine
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63:Alma mater
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948:External links
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853:Guarino, Ben.
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813:Astronomy Beat
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632:on 2013-02-18.
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149:David Morrison
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920:on 2013-08-10
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52:(age 84)
44:June 26, 1940
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32:
27:
20:
1028:Mercury News
988:
974:(2010 vimeo)
968:(March 2012)
938:
933:
922:. Retrieved
918:the original
909:
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888:. Retrieved
884:
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862:. Retrieved
858:
848:
836:. Retrieved
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788:NovâDec 2005
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673:. Retrieved
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630:the original
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586:. Retrieved
582:
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514:Dryden Medal
511:
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373:Astrobiology
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185:astrobiology
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121:Institutions
115:astrobiology
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77:astrobiology
1061:1940 births
1030:12/17/2012)
978:author page
890:18 December
879:Selk, Avi.
459:World War Z
175:and of the
1055:Categories
1007:(03.27.07)
924:2018-10-30
864:11 January
838:11 January
809:"Doomsday"
675:2023-08-18
548:References
322:Carl Sagan
264:newspapers
169:Carl Sagan
153:astronomer
48:1940-06-26
832:Space.com
588:March 24,
565:Space.com
478:, of the
225:does not
203:Biography
181:NASA Ames
1014:Archived
981:Archived
910:ncse.com
1040:YouTube
966:YouTube
775:9, 2001
653:. NASA.
608:Bibcode
532:of the
524:of the
454:YouTube
420:Galileo
405:of the
396:at the
389:Galileo
384:Voyager
380:Mariner
354:Neptune
336:at the
278:scholar
227:include
46: (
760:Nature
747:Icarus
734:Icarus
520:, the
470:Honors
430:Kepler
411:Tucson
358:Uranus
280:
273:
266:
259:
251:
107:Fields
92:Awards
434:SOFIA
362:Pluto
350:Venus
285:JSTOR
271:books
159:, at
892:2017
866:2017
840:2017
590:2020
583:NASA
432:and
386:and
370:NASA
257:news
229:any
193:NASA
41:Born
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987:at
964:on
409:in
344:of
163:in
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