Professor wins astronomy prize

After more than 40 years as an astronomer, Michael A'Hearn still loves making unexpected discoveries when he gazes through his telescope - such as finding something new on a comet, or finding a new comet altogether.

"The most enjoyable part is the scientific surprises," the professor said. "Which may say I am good at finding surprises, or my predictions are bad."

A'Hearn's passion for solving the mysteries of space has earned him the Kuiper Prize, a national award from the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. He received the distinguished title in New York this month for his study of comets, a university press release said.

"The award is meant for career contributions," A'Hearn said. "It's given to old fogies and people [who've] been around a long time."

A'Hearn said getting the Kuiper Prize is similar to a musician winning a Grammy. When he was at the awards ceremony in front of hundreds of fellow astronomers, A'Hearn said he was not nervous because he was told months beforehand he would win. But he does not know who nominated him.

"It's a high-prestige thing," A'Hearn said of the award. "I suppose that it says your colleagues think you're in the top 10 to 20 percent of researchers in your field."

Over the years, A'Hearn's research has revealed much about the formation of the solar system. He said by studying what comets are made of, scientists can have a better understanding of how planets are formed.

A'Hearn was also the leader of Deep Impact, a mission that sent a spacecraft to break open a comet. This allowed scientists to examine what the insides of comets are made of for the first time ever, attracting headlines nationwide.

The professor joked the award will make his colleagues listen to him more. He also said he might get called out to fundraisers more frequently as a result of his win, and he may be able to attract more graduate students and more faculty to the astronomy department.

Even though A'Hearn has devoted the last four decades of his life to studying comets, he said while growing up, he did not anticipate following this path. As a child, he wanted to be a sailor or a ship captain. A'Hearn said it was in graduate school that he first decided what he wanted to do with his life.

"I realized there was a lot to be done on comets, and no one was doing them," A'Hearn said. "The field was wide open."

One of A'Hearn's fondest memories over the years was in 1976, when he saw Comet West through a telescope. He said it was the most visually impressive comet he has ever seen, with a huge fan-shaped tail that luminated bluish-white. A'Hearn said it is spectacles like that which inspire him.

"It was just the most spectacular thing in the sky," A'Hearn said. "Every time you get excited by what you see out there, you want to study it more."

chrisyudbk@gmail.com