Bradley Elliott Schaefer is a professor of astronomy and

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

at Louisiana State University. He received his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983.

Early life

In addition to his academic pursuits, Schaefer is remembered at MIT as the founder of the annual MIT Mystery Hunt in 1981 during his graduate studies there. The tradition of the hunt continues today.

Scientific career

His research interests include the use of

photometry Photometry can refer to: * Photometry (optics), the science of measurement of visible light in terms of its perceived brightness to human vision * Photometry (astronomy), the measurement of the flux or intensity of an astronomical object's electrom ...

of exploding objects to get results of interest for physical cosmology. He has also researched the dwarf planet Pluto with the aim of understanding the atmospheric variability of the system. Bradley has also studied KIC 8462852, a star with unusual within-day light fluctuations of about 20 percent, and found that the century-long light (1890 to 1989) from the star faded by about 20 percent as well, adding to its unusual luminosity.

Hipparchus's star catalog

In 2005, at a meeting of the

American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...

in San Diego, California, Schaefer reported on a potential link between the long-lost star catalog of Hipparchus and a sculpture called The Farnese Atlas, created in the 2nd century, and thus a potential source for antique astronomy. Hipparchus is considered to be one of the greatest astronomers of ancient times, but most of his works are lost to history. The Farnese Atlas depicts Atlas, from Greek mythology, bearing the weight of the heavens upon his shoulders. The heavens are represented by a globe showing the

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...

s as seen from Earth. By examining the positions of the constellations, Schaefer determined that they are accurately placed according to the positions they occupied at the time of Hipparchus. He concludes that Hipparchus's work may have been the reference for the

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

Teaching

In 2017, Schaefer conducted the lecture series, "The Remarkable Science of Ancient Astronomy", an introductory course covering the history of astronomy, from about 5000 BC to 1600 AD on all inhabited continents. In 2010, Schaefer was awarded the LSU Distinguished Faculty Award as recognition of a sustained record of excellence in teaching and research. In 2012, for his teaching, Schaefer was named as the University Alumni Professor.

Awards

In 2007, Schaefer was awarded a small share of the $500,000 Gruber Prize in Cosmology, as part of the Supernova Cosmology Project, for the discovery of dark energy. In 2015, for this discovery of dark energy, Schaefer again won a small share of the $3,000,000 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. In October 2011, this work was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, with one half of the prize going to the head of the Supernova Cosmology Project, Saul Perlmutter, and the rest to the heads of a competing team.2011 Nobel Prize in Physics to leaders of Supernova Cosmology Project and High-z Supernova Search Team
/ref>

References

External links

Schaefer's web page at LSUSchaefer on the "Discovery of the lost Star Catalog of Hipparchus on The Farnese Atlas"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schaefer, Bradley E. Living people Louisiana State University faculty American astronomers Year of birth missing (living people) Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Historians of astronomy