Dr. George R. Carruthers 1939-2020
Astronomer
Engineer
Inventor
Teacher
Mentor
Pioneer
He built the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph – the first Moon-based telescope.
The camera was used by astronauts during the Apollo 16 mission.
Young set up an ultraviolet camera to provide the first astronomical observations from the Moon.
It remains on the Moon to this day.
The camera captured the first image of Earth in ultraviolet light, revealing the geocorona – the luminous part of the atmosphere's outermost layer.
50 years later, NASA has developed a mission that will build upon and continue Dr. Carruthers’ study of the geocorona.
In his honor, NASA is naming the mission for him.
The
Carruthers Geocorona Observatory
Dr. George R. Carruthers’ contributions to physics, astronomy, and education transcend time,
and his namesake mission will usher in the next generation of space exploration.