Top 3 American Astronomers

A quick list of some of my own personal favorite02)  Stephen Hawking
astronomers from America. It is impossible andMore of a theoretical physicist than an
downright silly to create a list of theastronomer, Hawking has nonetheless put forth
“best” astronomers because, really, whatsome of the most brilliant theories and work on
would the rankings be based on? All three ofthe subject of cosmology and quantum gravity,
these men have helped shape and inform ourspecifically in the area of black holes.
current view of the universe and what man isHawking’s prediction that black holes should
capable of in the future.emit radiation has thus been named after him,
01)  Carl Sagancalled the Hawking Radiation. His recent illness has
I rank Sagan so high in my list because personally,not slowed down his writing or lecturing with
I find him to be one of the most engaging, lucidHawking one of the most famous speakers on
and fairly skeptical of the astronomers.quantum gravity and physics.
Rewatching Sagan’s landmark television03)  Richard Feynman
series, “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” youOne of the most eccentric and interesting
can see the sense of wonder that Sagan has forastronomers and physicists, Feynman could never
our world and its ultimate beauty and mysteries.be pinholed to one subject but was interesting in
You can see free tv episodes of Comos stillmany different subjects, from biology to art, to
frequently every now and then. Today, Sagan isMaya hieroglyphs and to the development of the
probably most well known for the film adaption ofatomic bomb. His is most well known today for
his novel, “Contact” which starred Jodibeing involved in the panel that investigated the
Foster and in my mind is still one of the mostSpace Shuttle Challenger crash as well as his work
realistic representations of what alien contactin introducing the still very relevant concept of
would actually be like. Sagan was a one of a kindnanotechnology.
and will be remembered fondly.