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[[File:Fred Espenak.jpg|thumb|Espenak with his [[solar telescope]]]]
[[File:Fred Espenak.jpg|thumb|Espenak with his [[solar telescope]]]]
He was employed at [[Goddard Space Flight Center]], where he used [[infrared spectrometer]]s to measure the atmosphere of planets in the [[Solar System]].<ref name="twanight" /> He provided [[NASA]]'s eclipse bulletins since 1978. He is the author of several canonical works on eclipse predictions, such as the ''Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986–2035'' and ''Fifty Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses: 1986&ndash;2035'',<ref name="retirement" /> both of which are standard references on eclipses.<ref name="twanight" /> The first eclipse he saw was the [[solar eclipse of March 7, 1970]], which sparked his interest in eclipses,<ref name="twanight" /> and he has since seen over 20 eclipses.<ref name="retirement" /> He is co-author with [[Jean Meeus]] of ''Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses'', which covers all types of solar eclipses (partial, total, annular, or hybrid) from 2000 BCE to AD 3000.<ref name="FiveMillennium" /> He is also a co-author (with [[Mark Littmann]] and [[Ken Willcoxof]]) of ''Totality: Eclipses of the Sun''.<ref name="twanight" />
He was employed at [[Goddard Space Flight Center]], where he used [[infrared spectrometer]]s to measure the atmosphere of planets in the [[Solar System]].<ref name="twanight" /> He provided [[NASA]]'s eclipse bulletins since 1978. He is the author of several canonical works on eclipse predictions, such as the ''Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986–2035'' and ''Fifty Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses: 1986&ndash;2035'',<ref name="retirement" /> both of which are standard references on eclipses.<ref name="twanight" /> The first eclipse he saw was the [[solar eclipse of March 7, 1970]], which sparked his interest in eclipses,<ref name="twanight" /> and he has since seen over 20 eclipses.<ref name="retirement" />

Together with [[Jean Meeus]], he published the ''Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses'' in 2006, which covers all types of solar eclipses (partial, total, annular, or hybrid) from 2000 BCE to AD 3000<ref name="FiveMillenniumSolar" />, and the ''Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses'' in 2009, which lists all lunar eclipses (penumbral, partial, or total) in that time span.<ref name="FiveMillenniumLunar" /> Later, he published the more compact ''Thousand Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses 1501 to 2500''<ref name="ThousandYearLunar" />, the ''Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses 1501 to 2500''<ref name="ThousandYearSolar" />, and the ''21st Century Canon of Solar Eclipses''<ref name="21CenturySolar" />. He is also a co-author (with [[Mark Littmann]] and [[Ken Willcoxof]]) of ''Totality: Eclipses of the Sun''.<ref name="twanight" />


He was the co-investigator of an atmospheric experiment flown on [[Space Shuttle Discovery]].<ref name="spearstravel" />
He was the co-investigator of an atmospheric experiment flown on [[Space Shuttle Discovery]].<ref name="spearstravel" />
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<ref name="twanight">{{cite web | url=http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photographers_about.asp?photographer=Fred%20Espenak | title=TWAN Bio for Fred Espenak | accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="twanight">{{cite web | url=http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photographers_about.asp?photographer=Fred%20Espenak | title=TWAN Bio for Fred Espenak | accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="spearstravel">{{cite web | url=http://www.spearstravel.com/astronomy-travel/fred-espenak.aspx | title=Fred Espenak | accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="spearstravel">{{cite web | url=http://www.spearstravel.com/astronomy-travel/fred-espenak.aspx | title=Fred Espenak | accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="FiveMillennium">{{cite web | url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/5MCSE.html | title=Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 | accessdate=22 March 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="FiveMillenniumSolar">{{cite web | url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/5MCSE.html | title=Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 | accessdate=17 January 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="FiveMillenniumLunar">{{cite web | url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/5MCLE.html | title=Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 | accessdate=17 January 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="ThousandYearLunar">{{cite web | url=http://www.eclipsewise.com/pubs/TYCLE.html | title=Thousand Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses 1501 to 2500 | accessdate=17 January 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="ThousandYearSolar">{{cite web | url=http://www.eclipsewise.com/pubs/TYCSE.html | title=Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses 1501 to 2500 | accessdate=17 January 2020}}</ref>
<ref name="21CenturySolar">{{cite web | url=http://www.eclipsewise.com/pubs/21CCSE.html | title=21st Century Canon of Solar Eclipses | accessdate=17 January 2020}}</ref>
}}
}}


Revision as of 20:45, 17 January 2020

Fred Espenak
Fred Espenak in 2017
Fred Espenak in 2017
Born1953
New York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationAstrophysicist
Years active1978–2009[1]
Websitemreclipse.com

Fred Espenak (born 1953 [citation needed]) is a retired[1] emeritus[2] American astrophysicist. He worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He is best known for his work on eclipse predictions.[3]

He became interested in astronomy when he was 7–8 years old, and had his first telescope when he was around 9–10 years old.[1] Espenak earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Wagner College, Staten Island, where he worked in the planetarium. His master's degree is from the University of Toledo, based on studies he did at Kitt Peak Observatory of eruptive and flare stars among red dwarfs.[citation needed]

Espenak with his solar telescope

He was employed at Goddard Space Flight Center, where he used infrared spectrometers to measure the atmosphere of planets in the Solar System.[3] He provided NASA's eclipse bulletins since 1978. He is the author of several canonical works on eclipse predictions, such as the Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986–2035 and Fifty Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses: 1986–2035,[1] both of which are standard references on eclipses.[3] The first eclipse he saw was the solar eclipse of March 7, 1970, which sparked his interest in eclipses,[3] and he has since seen over 20 eclipses.[1]

Together with Jean Meeus, he published the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses in 2006, which covers all types of solar eclipses (partial, total, annular, or hybrid) from 2000 BCE to AD 3000[4], and the Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses in 2009, which lists all lunar eclipses (penumbral, partial, or total) in that time span.[5] Later, he published the more compact Thousand Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses 1501 to 2500[6], the Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses 1501 to 2500[7], and the 21st Century Canon of Solar Eclipses[8]. He is also a co-author (with Mark Littmann and Ken Willcoxof) of Totality: Eclipses of the Sun.[3]

He was the co-investigator of an atmospheric experiment flown on Space Shuttle Discovery.[9]

He is also known as "Mr. Eclipse."[10] He gives public lectures on eclipses and astrophotophy. Astronomical photographs taken by Espenak have been published in National Geographic, Newsweek, Nature, New Scientist, and Ciel et Espace [fr] magazines.[3]

He retired in 2009.[1] Asteroid 14120 Espenak was named in his honor in 2003.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "NASA's 'Mr. Eclipse' Retires but Still Chasing Shadows". NASA. 20 September 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Bio – Fred Espenak". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "TWAN Bio for Fred Espenak". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Thousand Year Canon of Lunar Eclipses 1501 to 2500". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses 1501 to 2500". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  8. ^ "21st Century Canon of Solar Eclipses". Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Fred Espenak". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Mr Eclipse". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
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