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  Ewen Whitaker, moon-mapper (1922-2016)

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Author Topic:   Ewen Whitaker, moon-mapper (1922-2016)
Robert Pearlman
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posted 10-15-2016 06:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Jurg Bolli
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Headshot
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posted 10-15-2016 09:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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David Carey
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jasonelam
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Kite
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capoetc
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Jeff
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Philip
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oly
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Wehaveliftoff
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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.

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RobertB
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Cozmosis22
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LM1
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Gilbert
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alcyone
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Blackarrow
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posted 11-01-2016 05:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ewen Whitaker was remembered today by a full-page obituary in The Times.

Another giant has left the stage.

All times are CT (US)

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