Jay Myron Pasachoff was an American astronomer. Pasachoff took a leading role in the science and history of transits of Mercury and Venus, as an analogue to exoplanet studies and this led to the transit of Venue and the 2016, 2019 Mercury transit. His career included him observing a wide variety of ground-based telescopes and spacecraft and reported in his text he wrote. His research which was funded by NASA was the scientific work at the total solar eclipse.
He studied at Harvard, receiving ... moreJay Myron Pasachoff was an American astronomer. Pasachoff took a leading role in the science and history of transits of Mercury and Venus, as an analogue to exoplanet studies and this led to the transit of Venue and the 2016, 2019 Mercury transit. His career included him observing a wide variety of ground-based telescopes and spacecraft and reported in his text he wrote. His research which was funded by NASA was the scientific work at the total solar eclipse.
He studied at Harvard, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1965 and his doctorate in 1969. Pasachoff wrote an article for Nature, and collaborated on the art Renaissance of Italy. He received an Education Prize of the American Astronomical Society in 2003, this was for his fine writing for textbook from junior high school through college and teaching generations. Pasachoff had a huge impact in the science, he was a Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy and the author of textbooks and trade books in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and other sciences.
He was married to Dr Naomi who was also an astronomer and they had a child together who is now a research professor of law at Georgetown Law.