Michael E. Brown is a distinguished planetary astronomer renowned for his transformative contributions to our understanding of the outer solar system. He currently holds the Richard and Barbara Rosenberg Professorship of Planetary Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, where he has been a faculty member since 1996. Born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1965, Brown developed an early interest in astronomy through his father's work on space program projects including the lunar lander. He earned his undergraduate degree in physics from Princeton University in 1987 before completing both his master's and doctorate in astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1990 and 1994 respectively. Brown's career trajectory has been defined by his pioneering approach to solar system exploration and his ability to leverage advanced observational techniques.
Dr. Brown's most significant scientific achievement came with the discovery of Eris in 2005, a trans-Neptunian object larger than Pluto that ultimately catalyzed the International Astronomical Union's reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet. His research team has discovered numerous other trans-Neptunian objects in the Kuiper belt, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of the solar system's structure and composition. Brown's systematic survey of the outer solar system has identified most of the largest known objects beyond Neptune, including Sedna, which represents the first known member of the distant region beyond the Kuiper belt. His analytical work on these celestial bodies has provided crucial insights into giant impacts in the outer solar system, atmospheric evolution of dwarf planets, and radiation processing of volatile ices. The profound implications of his discoveries earned him the prestigious Kavli Prize in Astrophysics in 2012, shared with Jane Luu and David C. Jewitt.
Beyond his groundbreaking discoveries, Brown has significantly influenced the field through his compelling scientific communication and public engagement, authoring the widely read memoir How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming in 2010. His designation as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2006 reflects the cultural impact of his work on redefining planetary science. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2013, Brown continues to advance telescopic exploration using both ground and space-based facilities to discover new solar system bodies and investigate their physical properties. His current research focuses on detailed analyses of dwarf planets and their satellites to understand formation processes and evolutionary histories in the outer solar system. As a respected educator who received Caltech's Richard P. Feynman Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2007, Brown remains committed to training the next generation of astronomers while continuing his quest to unravel the mysteries of the solar system's distant reaches.
