James Ludlow Elliot
June 19th, 1943 to Demo 3rd, 2011"James Elliot, 67; surpass astronomer helped students fetch their contract"
by
Emma Stickgold
Demo 7th, 2011
The Boston Gravel
Lay bets in the role of Pluto was a dirt, and Saturn was slow atypical for its rings, James Ludlow Elliot possibly will be found peering sooner than powerful telescopes and collecting understanding that helped make him one of the greats flanked by modern observational astrophysical astronomers.
Aboard an short observatory in 1977, Dr. Elliot was part of the get-together that discovered that Uranus has rings. In 1988, he flew to a faint publicize of the Conciliatory Oceanic to analyze a celestial matter well-defined as occultation and discovered register that Pluto has an inner self.
And as manager of MIT's Wallace Sky-high Observatory, he was an effect to abundant students, uplifting women in limitation to chart a side crave subject by men.
Dr. Elliot, a educationalist of astrophysical astronomy and physics at MIT, died Thursday at his home in Wellesley of complications of corruption. He was 67.
Dr. Elliot snobbish a white record card in his steal and carried his favorite low point involuntary pencil with him so he possibly will write down annotations to help put on record his weigh up on course.
"He was an keen think - very keen, very inquiring in the world on all sides of him, inquiring in how outfit works,' understood his teen Lyn of Nation School, Pa. "He was a very curious think, consistently inquiring in seeing outfit from abundant inexperienced sides, someone who was good at seeing multiple perspectives of a pose.'
One of the top experts in his side, he was talented at explaining chic and steadily bureaucratic subjects in vocabulary his end up possibly will understand, understood his teen, who recalled abundant hours the two finished poring concluded her physics groundwork in high school.
"He was very respectable with his time,' she understood.
Longtime member Amanda Bosh understood she gone a observe on the front entrance of his MIT department in the role of she was a apprentice, asking to take a seat with him so she possibly will give her pastime in his side.
She usual a quick reply.
"He had a real special prospect of recognizing and promotion impatience,' she understood.
She took one of his dedication courses on observational astronomy and forward-looking worked with him on a few projects.
Dr. Elliot had a technique for apportion students understand how to examine their understanding, she understood.
"I was in awe of all the outfit he possibly will do,' she understood.
Bosh recalled him speaking about the bonus it was to be an astronomer and the mission it carried.
Astronomy had no campaign idea on popular lives, he understood, yet "we get allow money to pay for it - taxpayers help us to pay for it - so we had a real mission to learn new outfit and overhaul that on as well,' she understood.
Heidi Hammel understood she was the just undergraduate apprentice in the most primitive course Dr. Elliot educated at MIT, observational astronomy. She had signed up for it as an voluntary.
She slow dipping the course, but he stimulated her to bar, and she went on to become a acclaimed astronomer.
"He prepared you part of his get-together, working shoulder-to-shoulder, and he invested in us this commitment,' she understood.
At a time in the role of not abundant women were enrolled at MIT, she understood, "Jim would consistently say, 'You can do this, Hammel understood. "I didn't get that from a lot of my other professors, I'll organization you.'
Dr. Elliot was born in Columbus, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's in 1965 from MIT. He earned a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University in 1972 and joined Cornell's capacity in 1977. When at Harvard, Dr. Elliot met his partner, Elaine, a Tufts graduate apprentice who was working at a Harvard department, his teen understood.
In 1977, aboard the Kuiper Short Observatory, he and his get-together used telescopic equipment to analyze Uranus as it crossed in pretense of a star. They watched the fashion of the dirt hurt across the star, dimming its brashness, and observed symmetric dips that were the switch off of rings sphere-shaped the dirt.
Dr. Elliot was awarded a NASA Grant for Stuck-up Methodological Produce a result, according to an obituary posted on the MIT website.
He returned to MIT in 1978, and became manager of the Wallace Sky-high Observatory.
Plus the Uranus decision much-lamented him, he looked for option resist.
"We desired to do everything surly and the just thing gone was Pluto,' he told the Gravel in 1988.
Peculiar celestial happenings were flanked by his specialties, in limitation occultation, which occurs in the role of one piece of writing is innermost by option that appointments in the company of it and the witness, allowing for part and outlook that are surly to earlier than come by.
In 1988, Pluto was payable to overhaul in pretense of a collapse star, causing a shadow to sweep across Deck at a take-home pay of self-important than 11 miles a close, and inhabit were the experience Dr. Elliot compulsory to learn self-important about this celestial best part, whose utterly sheer size was relaxed a specialty of speculation.
Fourteen sparkle forward-looking, Dr. Elliot and his get-together packed up cameras, telescopes, and mechanical equipment and boarded the NASA jet Kuiper Short Observatory to travel to an parish of the Conciliatory roughly 3,000 miles south of Hawaii to steal Pluto's shadow in optimal presentation experience.
Passing through eight telescopes, Dr. Elliot and his get-together observed the dimming of the star in the role of Pluto conceded in pretense of it on Aug. 20, 2002, and discovered that Pluto's inner self was expanding. This seemed out of the ordinary to the get-together while they had made-up it would therapist as it traveled exterior from the sun.
Seeing that the starlight dimmed, and next about a finish forward-looking become evident later self-important, sounds of joy emanated from get-together members, according to a Gravel check in from the time.
"Because this road is that Pluto has an inner self,' he told the Gravel.
Bosh was on that emigration and understood Dr. Elliot took on the say of "the big-picture guy,' who led the get-together with an eye for indicate and sale.
"For the highest achievement time, it was slow shown to footing the charge you compulsory to observe inhabit happenings,' Bosh understood.
Pluto was slow the astrophysical system's ninth dirt until 2006, in the role of an transnational committee of astronomers genuine that it was too trivial to be slow a dirt.
Definitive court, an issue to style him, dubbed a "Jimboree,' was held at MIT and abundant students returned to portion their memories of their experiences with a educationalist who had championed their careers.
A few students productive compliment to his love of white record cards, verbal skill annotations of remembrances on them.
"So abundant students of his came back,' Bosh understood. "He was so amazed by that, but I significantly was not.'
In working out to his teen Lyn and his partner, Dr. Elliot foliage option teen, Martha of Brooklyn, N.Y.; two sisters, Suzanne of New London, Conn., and Martha Workforce of Piedmont, Calif.; a brother, Tom, of Arlington, Va.; and a granddaughter.
"James Elliot Is Inorganic at 67; Bare Earrings of Uranus"
by
Jascha Hoffman
Demo 10th, 2011
The New York Become old
James Elliot, an astronomer who used light from diffident stars to study astrophysical things close to the astrophysical lane, leading to his decision of the rings of Uranus, died on Demo 3 at his home in Wellesley, Consequence. He was 67.
His teen Lyn understood the put together was complications of corruption trouble.
Dr. Elliot finished his dash, mostly at the Massachusetts Stiff of Apparatus, scrutinizing planets by observing how greatly starlight they hindered. Passing through phenomena well-defined as sky-high occultations, he possibly will analyze changes in the brashness of a star in the role of it was innermost by a dirt, thus decisive the planet's sheer size and the warm up and pressure of any inner self it had.
Occultations are special, and to analyze them one requisite observe in the role of the dirt energy overhaul in pretense of a star, and where on the Deck its shadow energy be cast. A high magnitude of routine is necessary to confirm that multiple telescopes on all sides of the world are skillful on a star at the utter moments that it is impalpable by a dirt.
In 1977, using a therapist in an jet, Dr. Elliot led a get-together of Cornell University scientists to analyze the dirt Uranus in the role of it conceded in the company of Deck and a star. Above ground at night concluded a flowerbed of the Indian Oceanic where Uranus's shadow was to be cast, he had the ability to see to turn on his equipment self-important than a half-hour inconvenient. This decriminalized him to worn out a series of marginal dimmings that provided the most primitive register of Uranus's rings.
"This is science firmly set in in basis and negotiations, with just minutes of slaughter," understood Michael Delegation, an astronomer at M.I.T. who worked with Dr. Elliot. "You footing to be gift, adjust and agreeable, observing at the modest time, or you don't get it."
The Uranus researchers - Dr. Elliot, Edward Dunham and Douglas Mink - were aboard the Kuiper Short Observatory, a Domicile Aeronautics and Gap Control jet that flew disdainful the billows to unite unrestricted images of the sky-high incomprehensible sooner than a mounted three-foot therapist.
"He finished the whole emigration pacing in a circle, so his earphones descent would get curved up, and he had to unplug and unbend it," understood Dr. Dunham, who is now at Lowell Observatory in Ship's mast, Ariz. "We worked until the sun came up, and the pilot was orderly out of gas, and we had to go home."
Passing through the dreadfully representation in the role of Pluto conceded in pretense of a diffident star in 1988, Dr. Elliot and his get-together noticed that, impressive than tersely flashing off and on anew, the starlight departed and reappeared unhurriedly, approach ultimate register that Pluto had an inner self.
In 2002 he was part of a group that used ground-based telescopes to fetch that Pluto's inner self had warmed and expanded, not crave before the Large-scale Climax Coupling genuine that it was not a developed dirt.
In up-to-the-minute sparkle, working with a get-together led by Jay Pasachoff at Williams School and others, Dr. Elliot and his collaborators at M.I.T. turned their snag to the ring of trivial bodies very Neptune well-defined as the Kuiper Come to. In the sphere of the following court the group critical the sheer size of a trivial astrophysical best part that is flanked by the brightest things in the astrophysical lane. They call up to analyze Pluto and its moons as they overhaul in pretense of two stars in June.
"In the put forward culture of massive spacecraft missions and multibillion-dollar experiments," Dr. Delegation understood, "he showed that someone fervent to science with convincingly trivial wake possibly will relaxed make very stimulating discoveries."
James Ludlow Elliot was born in Columbus, Ohio, on June 19, 1943, the eldest son of a dentist. He artificial physics as an undergraduate at M.I.T. and usual his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard in 1972. His inconvenient work with sky-high occultations used ground-based telescopes to study Mars, Jupiter and the moons of Saturn as they conceded in pretense of diffident stars. As a airborne get rid of at Cornell, at home which he discovered Uranus's rings, Dr. Elliot returned to M.I.T. in 1978, where he became manager of the Wallace Sky-high Observatory, and stayed on for the rest of his dash. In forward-looking sparkle he led a winter astronomy side camp at Lowell Observatory, where he skillful his students for Excessive Overeat hikes by loading their backpacks with books.
Dr. Elliot was a trainer to abundant students, spare women. "He had an alluring prospect to conduct students who were upright kids, and make them affection they were part of the get-together," understood Heidi Hammel, executive vice come first of the Association of Universities for Study in Astronomy, well-defined as Existence, a hope of universities and astronomy-related institutions. "He trusted us, he educated us, and sent us out all the rage the world to be scientists."
In working out to his teen Lyn, Dr. Elliot is survived by his partner, Elaine; his teen Martha of Brooklyn; his sisters Suzanne of New London, Conn., and Martha Workforce of Piedmont, Calif.; his brother, Tom, of Arlington, Va.; and a granddaughter.
Dr. Elliot's movement for basis was seeming at home. A few sparkle ago he drew up a list called "Jobs for Grandchildren." Seeing that reminded that he did not yet footing any grandchildren, he replied, "They aren't outfit I engage to footing done absolutely."
"James Elliot dies at 67; MIT astronomer discovered rings of Uranus and inner self of Pluto"
Elliot relied on an implied grace called sky-high occultation, in which astronomers watch a dirt or other elevated piece of writing very methodically as it passes in pretense of a star
by
Thomas H. Maugh II
Demo 20th, 2011
Los Angeles Become old
James Elliot, the MIT astronomer who discovered the rings of Uranus and the collapse inner self of Pluto, died Demo 3 at his home in Wellesley, Consequence. He was 67 and had been attention from corruption.
The rings of Uranus are neighboring and collapse and not definite from Deck. Pluto not just is trivial, but it is on the outer walls outer reaches of the astrophysical lane, making it at the same time as difficult to view its inner self point in the right direction.
Elliot relied on an implied grace called sky-high occultation, in which astronomers watch a dirt or other elevated piece of writing very methodically as it passes in pretense of a star. But the grace requires dirt free negotiations, utter timing and finish sight.
Communicate are no close probability.
In 1977, Elliot, Edward Dunham and Douglas Mink - all three next at Cornell University - flew concluded the Indian Oceanic in the Kuiper Short Observatory to use its 36-inch therapist to analyze an occultation of a joyful star by Uranus. Elliot had the ability to see to turn the dummy on about an hour in advance.
To the team's shock, the light from the star winked out provisionally a few get older before it was eclipsed by Uranus, next anew a few get older after the incomprehensible. Public symmetrical drops in the star's brashness were a perceptible symbol that Uranus harried rings, everything that astronomers had not suspected.
The rings were subsequently viewed point in the right direction by the Buccaneer 2 spacecraft.
In 1988, Elliot and his generation observed Pluto - which was next slow a dirt but which has because been demoted to the set of dwarf dirt - by the dreadfully grace. They observed that significantly of winking out abruptly, as had been payable, the light from the star blanched unhurriedly, next reappeared unhurriedly later Pluto had fully conceded in pretense of the star.
That was a sign that the celestial best part had an inner self, albeit a thin one. Elliot's get-together policy to do go well together occultation observations in June.
James Ludlow Elliot was born June 17, 1943, in Columbus, Ohio. He usual his bachelor's magnitude in physics from MIT in 1965 and his doctorate in astronomy from Harvard in 1972. He was a postdoctoral man at Cornell, next joined the capacity until he returned to MIT in 1978, drinking the rest of his dash gift.
He was enormously thoughtful of women in astronomy; self-important than imperfect of his students were women. At a 2010 celebration of his life and work at MIT, called the "Jimboree," onwards students spoke about his gift for charming them firmly in his weigh up and next transfer them off on their own, honest that they possibly will do the weigh up themselves.
Students wrote their memories on white record cards while Elliot consistently had such cards and a pen in his steal to jot down attention as they came to him.
Elliot is survived by his partner of 44 sparkle, the onwards Elaine Kasparian; daughters Lyn of Nation School, Penn., and Martha of Brooklyn; sisters Suzanne Elliot of New London, Conn., and Martha Workforce of Piedmont, Calif.; a brother, Tom, of Arlington, Va.; and one granddaughter.
