Richard Ellis (astronomer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Ellis
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Ellis at Caltech in 2008
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Richard Salisbury Ellis
25 May 1950 Colwyn Bay, Wales, UK
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University College London University of Oxford |
| Awards | Fellow Royal Society 1995 Bakerian Lecture 1998 Fellow Institute of Physics 1998 CBE 2008 Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society 2011 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (shared) 2014 Carl Sagan Memorial Prize (shared) 2017 Fellow & Corresponding Member, Australian Academy of Science 2018 Honorary Doctorate (D.Sc.) Edinburgh University 2019 Michael Faraday Medal and Prize 2020 Royal Society Royal Medal 2022 Gruber Prize in Cosmology (sole recipient) 2023 International Member National Academy of Sciences 2024 Honorary Doctorate (D.Univ.) University of Surrey 2024 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | University College London (2015–present) Caltech (1999–2015) University of Cambridge (1993–1999) Durham University (1974–1993) |
| Thesis | Stellar abundances and nucleosynthesis (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | Donald Blackwell |
| Doctoral students | David Axon, Jeremy Heyl, Ian Smail, Amy Barger, Richard Massey |
Richard Salisbury Ellis is a famous professor who studies space and stars. He was born on May 25, 1950, in Colwyn Bay, Wales. He is currently a Professor of Astrophysics at the University College London.
Before that, he was a top astronomy professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He has won many important awards for his amazing work. These include the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2011, the Royal Medal in 2022, and the Gruber Prize in Cosmology in 2023.
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Education and Early Career
Richard Ellis studied astronomy at University College London. He then earned his DPhil (a high-level degree, like a PhD) from the University of Oxford in 1974.
In 1985, he became a professor at Durham University because of his important research. He also spent two years working at the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Researching the Universe
In 1993, Professor Ellis moved to the University of Cambridge. There, he became the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy. From 1994 to 1999, he was the director of the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
After that, he moved to Caltech in the United States. He became the director of the Palomar Observatory. He helped make it even better by focusing on Caltech's role in building the Thirty Meter Telescope. In 2015, he returned to Europe and joined University College London.
Studying Galaxies and Dark Matter
Professor Ellis mainly works in observational cosmology. This means he uses telescopes to study the universe. He looks at how galaxies are born and change over time. He also studies how large structures in the universe grow.
A big part of his work is understanding dark matter. This is a mysterious substance that we can't see, but it makes up a lot of the universe. He worked with a group called the Morphs collaboration. They studied how distant galaxies look and how they formed.
Gravitational Lensing and Supernovae
Professor Ellis uses special techniques like gravitational lensing. This is when the gravity of a huge object, like a galaxy, bends the light from objects behind it. This helps scientists see things that are very far away. He also studies distant exploding stars called supernovae.
He was part of the Supernova Cosmology Project. This team made a surprising discovery: the universe is expanding faster and faster! The leader of this project, Saul Perlmutter, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2011 for this discovery. Professor Ellis's most recent work involves searching for the very first galaxies. These galaxies formed when the universe was only a tiny fraction of its current age.
Building Giant Telescopes
From 2000 to 2005, Professor Ellis was the director of the Palomar Observatory. He played a key role in planning and getting support for the Thirty Meter Telescope. This is a huge project involving Caltech, the University of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India.
This giant telescope is planned to be built in Hawaii. If it's built, it will be the largest telescope on Earth that uses visible light and near-infrared light in the Northern Hemisphere. It will help scientists see even further into space.
Awards and Recognitions
Professor Ellis has received many important awards and honors for his contributions to science:
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1995. This is a very prestigious honor for scientists in the UK.
- He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2008. This is an honor given by the British monarch.
- In 2018, he became a Fellow and Corresponding Member of the Australian Academy of Science.
- In 2024, he was named an International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences.
