The Harold Masursky Award for Meritorious Service to Planetary Science, usually called the Masursky Award, is awarded annually by the
Division for Planetary Sciences
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
* Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
(DPS) 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 ...
. The award for Meritorious Service to Planetary Science was established by the DPS to recognize and honor individuals who have rendered outstanding service to planetary science and exploration through engineering, managerial, programmatic, or public service activities.
[ ] For purposes of this award, planetary science and exploration refers to the multidisciplinary study of the solar system and its members, excluding work dealing primarily with the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
or the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's sur ...
. It was named in honor of
Harold Masursky
Harold (Hal) Masursky (December 23, 1922* – August 24, 1990) was an American astrogeologist.
After leaving Yale University without defending his dissertation, he started his career in the early 1950s as a field geologist in Wyoming and Colo ...
. The award has been given annually since 1991, except 2001, 2002, and 2009.
Recipients
Source
American Astronomical Society
See also
*
List of astronomy awards
This list of astronomy awards is an index to articles about notable awards for contributions to astronomy. The list is organized by region and country of the sponsoring organization, but awards are not necessarily limited to people from that count ...
References
{{reflist
External links
AAS website about the awardsThe Harold Masursky Award for Meritorious Service to Planetary Science
Masursky Award
American awards
Awards established in 1991
1991 establishments in the United States
American Astronomical Society