Jay M. Pasachoff

director, Hopkins Observatory

Jay M. Pasachoff specializes in studying the sun at total solar eclipses, working closely with Dr. Steven Souza and Dr. Bryce Babcock. They carry out experiments to study the million-degree-temperature of the solar corona in order to find out how the corona gets so hot. Their work has been supported by the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation, and the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium. Dr. Pasachoff, along with Dr. Souza, and Dr. Babcock carried out an extensive expedition to Kastellorizo, in the Greek Dodecanese islands, for the March 29, 2006, total solar eclipse. They included a half dozen astrophysics and astronomy majors. Dr. Pasachoff and Babcock had a similar expedition to Siberia for the August 1, 2008, total solar eclipse. They are now planning an expedition for the July 22, 2009, total solar eclipse in China.