Dr. Richard Ellis has been a major part of astronomy since he
was an undergrad in the 1960s when he served on committees for the
creation of the Hubble Telescope. Since then, he has worked in
observatories across the globe and published a book titled When
Galaxies Were Born: The Quest for Cosmic Dawn, which explores the
moment in the history of the universe when galaxies first emerged
from darkness. In this episode Alan talks with Dr. Ellis about his
experiences and what he hopes the future will bring for the field
of astronomy.
Dr. Richard Ellis is a professor of astrophysics at University
College London where he studied before earning his doctorate at
Oxford. His career includes roles at the University of Durham,
Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge, Caltech, and the European
Southern Observatory, and as director of the Palomar Observatory.
He has received numerous awards, such as the Michael Faraday Gold
Medal, the Royal Medal, and the Gruber Cosmology Prize. Dr. Ellis
was also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His
recent book is When Galaxies Were Born: The Quest for Cosmic
Dawn.
Produced from the American Museum of Science and Energy, AMSEcast invites guests from the world of science, literature, and technology to share unique perspectives from the realm of the highly trained and curiously minded.