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Topic: Ewen Whitaker, moon-mapper (1922-2016)
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-15-2016 06:14 PM
Ewen Whitaker, the last original member of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, who mapped and named features on the moon, died Tuesday (Oct. 11). He was 94. He was hired by LPL Director Gerard Kuiper to help create an atlas of the moon, first at Yerkes Observatory at the University of Chicago and later at the UA, where Kuiper established the Lunar and Planetary Lab in 1960.When President John F. Kennedy announced in 1961 that America would land on the moon by the end of the decade, moon-mapping became critical to that effort and the lab grew exponentially. According to the Lunar and Planetary Lab's website history, Whitaker pioneered the technique of combining ultra-violet and infrared images of the moon's surface to make compositional maps. The maps were "instrumental to the selection of landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions." |
randy Member Posts: 2176 From: West Jordan, Utah USA Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 10-15-2016 08:04 PM
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Jurg Bolli Member Posts: 977 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 10-15-2016 08:32 PM
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Headshot Member Posts: 864 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 10-15-2016 09:52 PM
This is very sad news indeed.I corresponded with Whitaker in the mid-'70s about identifying/locating artificial impact craters (caused by Rangers, Saturn S-IVBs, etc.) on the moon. Whitaker was frank and generous with his comments. He sent me some polaroid enlargements that he had made from Apollo panoramic camera frames, which I still have. I also enjoyed his book, "Mapping and Naming the Moon," which is definitely for lunar geeks. This man will be sorely missed. |
GACspaceguy Member Posts: 2476 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 10-15-2016 10:10 PM
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David Carey Member Posts: 782 From: Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 10-15-2016 11:24 PM
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jasonelam Member Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 10-16-2016 12:34 AM
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Kite Member Posts: 831 From: Northampton UK Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 10-16-2016 03:50 AM
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capoetc Member Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 10-16-2016 04:14 AM
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Jeff Member Posts: 474 From: Fayetteville, NC, USA Registered: May 2009
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posted 10-16-2016 07:37 AM
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East-Frisian Member Posts: 586 From: Germany Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 10-16-2016 09:17 AM
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apolloprojeckt Member Posts: 1447 From: Arnhem, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2009
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posted 10-16-2016 09:58 AM
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Ronpur Member Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
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posted 10-16-2016 11:09 AM
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dss65 Member Posts: 1156 From: Sandpoint, ID, USA Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 10-16-2016 12:11 PM
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Panther494 Member Posts: 402 From: London UK Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 10-16-2016 06:26 PM
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star51L Member Posts: 340 From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 10-16-2016 07:03 PM
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Spoon Member Posts: 143 From: Cumbria, UK Registered: May 2006
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posted 10-17-2016 11:21 AM
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Philip Member Posts: 5952 From: Brussels, Belgium Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 10-17-2016 11:32 AM
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mode1charlie Member Posts: 1169 From: Honolulu, HI Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 10-17-2016 02:05 PM
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mach3valkyrie Member Posts: 719 From: Albany, Oregon Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 10-17-2016 07:51 PM
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oly Member Posts: 905 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 10-17-2016 08:04 PM
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Wehaveliftoff Member Posts: 2343 From: Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 10-17-2016 09:56 PM
Saddened. I worked on a lunar mapping project with a senior academic at Arizona's LPL in early-80s, sure I met Mr. Whittaker amongst the many lectures held there. Not many passings that I acknowledge which crossed my path. . |
RobertB Member Posts: 160 From: Israel Registered: Nov 2012
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posted 10-20-2016 12:19 AM
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NJ CO Member Posts: 23 From: Greenwich, NJ, US Registered: Mar 2008
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posted 10-21-2016 11:46 AM
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Cozmosis22 Member Posts: 968 From: Texas * Earth Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 10-30-2016 07:53 PM
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LM1 Member Posts: 667 From: New York, NY Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-31-2016 05:29 AM
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Glint Member Posts: 1040 From: New Windsor, Maryland USA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 10-31-2016 10:39 AM
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Gilbert Member Posts: 1328 From: Carrollton, GA USA Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 11-01-2016 12:02 PM
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alcyone Member Posts: 130 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 11-01-2016 02:16 PM
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Blackarrow Member Posts: 3120 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 11-01-2016 05:31 PM
Ewen Whitaker was remembered today by a full-page obituary in The Times.Another giant has left the stage. |