SETI
Institute planetary astronomer Mark Showalter is rabid about rings.
Showalter
directs the Planetary Rings Node of
NASA's Planetary Data System. Anyone looking for information on planetary rings
comes to Showalter's website here at the SETI Institute. Mark manages the rings
node and continues to pursue his research interests from the ground and in
space.
While
everyone knows about Saturn's spectacular ring system, it's often forgotten that
Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune are also encircled by fainter and narrower rings.
Each of these systems interacts closely with a family of small, inner moons.
Showalter works on some of NASA's highest-profile missions to the outer
planets, including Cassini, now orbiting Saturn, and New Horizons, which
recently flew past Jupiter en route to its 2015 encounter with Pluto. Known for
his persistence in planetary image analysis, Mark's work on the earlier Voyager
missions led to his discovery of Jupiter's faint, outer "gossamer"
rings and Saturn's tiny
ring-moon, Pan.
Mark
splits his observing time between NASA space probes and Earth-based telescopes.
He has been a frequent investigator with the Hubble Space Telescope. Since
2002, he has been leading a team of astronomers studying the planet Uranus. His
discovery of two small moons — Cupid and Mab — and two additional faint rings
orbiting that distant planet received national attention in 2006.
On
the ground, Mark observes with the 10-meter Keck Telescope in Hawaii, where the
new adaptive optics system has begun to rival and sometimes surpass Hubble
in the clarity of its images. He will soon be turning his attention farther
outward to Neptune, which is encircled by a peculiar family of rings, moons and
incomplete arcs. These were studied by the Voyager spacecraft in 1989, but have
been observed only a few times since then. Rings and the faint moons that
interact with them are more than just local anomalies. They serve as dynamic
laboratories where we can observe some of the same processes that operate,
albeit on much larger scales, in galaxies and during the formation of planetary
systems.
Adopt a Scientist: Mark Showalter
The
best part of Mark's job is that he can come to work in the morning not knowing
what new discovery might be awaiting him in the latest data.
He
welcomes the opportunity to share this spirit of discovery with interested
individuals or small groups. Watch over his shoulder as he processes the latest
data and be among the first to see features that have never before been
revealed to human eyes.
Mark
isn't just rabid about rings. As an avid scuba diver, amateur naturalist and
award-winning photographer, he spends his vacations exploring the diversity of
life on Earth in its most distant and exotic and underwater environments. He
has dived everywhere from Alaska to Australia, the Galapagos Islands, the Red
Sea, and throughout the Caribbean and South Pacific.
As
a different kind of journey of discovery, we invite experienced scuba divers on
an expedition to a destination of their choice. Work with Mark to understand
more about environments and life forms as we prepare for the trip, and then
compare notes after each dive. Such a trip would also afford ample "down
time" to explore Mark's other passion, photography, so we can examine the
latest images
from the heavens above when we're not focused on the oceans below.
The SETI Institute's Adopt a Scientist Program
Anyone
can adopt a SETI Institute scientist and become part of the adventure!
Each
of our scientists offers a compelling journey of discovery. When you adopt a
scientist, you help lead the way towards answering profound questions regarding
our place in the universe. You can form a one-on-one relationship and
participate in the process of ground-breaking science with any number of our
institute's scientists. In an effort to ensure that this vital research
continues to prosper, our Adopt a Scientist Program invites you to make a
direct contribution to the field.
There
are many levels of commitment. For more information on the Adopt a Scientist
program or to adopt a scientist, visit our website at http://www.seti.org/AdoptAScientist/
. Or email Karen Randall at krandall@seti.org or call 650-960-4537.
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