Carl D. Murray facts for kids
Carl Desmond Murray, born in September 1955, is an expert in mathematics and astronomy from Ireland. He used to be a professor at Queen Mary University of London. He is a planetary scientist, which means he studies planets and other objects in space. Carl Murray is especially known for his deep knowledge about the amazing rings of Saturn. He also wrote an important book about how things move in our Solar System with Stanley Dermott.
Contents
Carl Murray's Journey in Space Science
Early Life and Learning
Carl Murray was born in September 1955 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He grew up there and in Newcastle, County Down. He went to Queen Mary College in London. In 1977, he earned a top degree in Applied mathematics and Astrophysics. Applied mathematics uses math to solve real-world problems. Astrophysics is the study of stars, planets, and space.
He continued his studies at the same college. In 1980, he earned his PhD. A PhD is a very high university degree. His research was about how tiny particles in the Solar System move and change over time.
Working with Planets and Rings
Carl Murray has spent his whole career at Queen Mary College, which is now called Queen Mary University of London. Since 1995, he has also been a professor at the University of Florida in the United States.
He is interested in all parts of how things move in our Solar System. This includes everything from tiny dust bits to the steady paths of planets. Since 1990, he has been a key member of the Cassini Imaging Team. This team used the Cassini Space Probe to take pictures and study Saturn. Carl Murray was the only person from the United Kingdom on this important team.
He has spent a lot of time studying the complex movements of Saturn's rings. He especially looked at the mysterious F-ring. He also studied how the rings and nearby moons pull on each other with gravity.
In 2007, Carl Murray led a team of astronomers from the European Space Agency. They used the Cassini Space Probe to find a new moon orbiting Saturn. This was Saturn's 60th known moon!
Books
Carl Murray has written several books about space and how things move in the Solar System:
- Planetary Ring Systems: Properties, Structure, and Evolution, with Matthew S. Tiscareno, published in 2018.
- Solar System Dynamics, with Stanley F. Dermott, published in 2010.
Awards and Honours
Carl Murray has received many awards and honours for his work:
- He has been a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1980.
- He became a Member of the International Astronomical Union in 1985.
- He joined the American Astronomical Society in 1990.
- He became a Member of the American Geophysical Union in 2013.
An asteroid, a small rocky body in space, was named after him. It is called (5598) Carlmurray. This is a special way to honour scientists for their important discoveries.
