William Napier (astronomer) facts for kids
William M. Napier (born 29 June 1940) is a Scottish author and scientist. He is well-known for writing five exciting thriller novels. He also writes many science books. These books often explore interesting ideas about space and Earth's past.
William Napier's Work
Early Studies and Astronomy
William Napier studied science at the University of Glasgow. He earned his first degree in 1963 and a higher degree in 1966.
He is a professional astronomer. An astronomer is a scientist who studies stars, planets, and space. Napier has worked at important places like the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh and the University of Oxford. He also worked at Armagh Observatory.
Today, he is an honorary professor of Astrobiology at Cardiff University. Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe, including on Earth and possibly elsewhere. Cardiff University says he is a leader in understanding how comets move and behave. They also say he helped start modern ideas about how big events, like comet impacts, have shaped Earth's history. This idea is called "catastrophism."
He is also an honorary professor at the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, part of the University of Buckingham. This university describes him as a pioneer in studying the danger that asteroids and comets pose to Earth.
Research on Comets and Earth's Past
Napier's main research focuses on comets and cosmology. Cosmology is the study of the universe's origin and development. He worked with another scientist, Victor Clube. Together, they studied how giant comets might have affected Earth's history. Their ideas are known as "coherent catastrophism." This theory suggests that Earth has been hit by large comets or their fragments many times in the past.
Napier believes that about 13,000 years ago, Earth experienced a sudden and strong cooling event. This event is known as the Younger Dryas. It caused many types of animals to die out. It also greatly changed the lives of early people, called Paleo-Indians.
He suggests that this cooling event happened because Earth collided with a thick trail of material from a large comet that was breaking apart. This idea is called the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis. While this idea has been discussed, some scientists have found reasons to disagree with it.
William Napier is a member of the Comet Research Group. This group raises money and conducts studies in this area.
