J. Craig Wheeler Shares Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award

January 8, 2019

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) announced today at its semi-annual meeting in Seattle that J. Craig Wheeler and David Branch will share its Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award for 2019. Wheeler is the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin.

Wheeler and Branch, an emeritus professor at The University of Oklahoma, are the authors of the university-level textbook “Supernova Explosions,” published by Springer in 2017.

“This book was a labor of love, seven years in the making, and a terrific bonding experience with my friend and colleague David Branch,” Wheeler said.

J. Craig Wheeler

In announcing the award, the AAS called the book “an extraordinary compilation of information that is logically organized, benefits from clear and engaging writing, and features terrific insights of the kind you’d hope for from a mentor.”

The book has received rave reviews from professors. “The text provided a terrific foundation for a course introducing students to supernova astrophysics and enabled me to teach many topics, including the theory of supernova light curves, spectra, and explosion mechanisms, far more effectively than I could otherwise have,” said Patrick Kelly of the University of Minnesota. “The textbook received very enthusiastic reviews from all of the students.”

Wheeler is a leading expert on the science of exploding stars. In addition to “Supernova Explosions,” he has written the textbook “Cosmic Catastrophes: Exploding Stars, Black Holes, and Mapping the Universe” of which Cambridge University Press issued a second edition in 2009. He is also author of the science fiction novels “The Krone Experiment” and “Krone Ascending,” and a past president of the American Astronomical Society.

Established in 1899 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAS is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. With about 7,000 members, the mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe.