Gene Shoemaker

The impact of comets has profoundly influenced the story of life.” 
— Gene Shoemaker

“Every time a giant comet strikes the Earth, the dice of evolution are thrown again.” David Levy, Comets: Creators and Destroyers;Touchstone Books. 1998

Shoemaker Menu Choose Page…. Abstracts Bibliography Photos page=17″>Quotes page=18″>Resources Gene Shoemaker Timeline 28 Apr 1928 – Gene is born in Los Angeles, California  1948 – Gene, age 21 decides to go to the Moon.  1960 – Ph.D. degree at Princeton (1960), Shoemaker studied the impact dynamics of Barringer Meteor Crater 1961 – 1965 Prominently involved in the Lunar Ranger Program 1961 – Founded the Astrogeology Research Program of the United States Geological Survey 1965 – Awarded the John Price Wetherill Medal from the Franklin Institute  1966 – 1972 Training astronauts for the Apollo Program 1969 – Caltech where he began the search for Earth-crossing asteroids and where he advanced the idea that sudden geologic changes can arise from asteroid strikes and that asteroid strikes are common over geologic time periods. October 17, 1974 –  E. F. Helin discovers a minor planet and names it 2074 Shoemaker. 1984  – Received the Barringer Medal  1992 – Received National Medal of Science   1993 – Co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 using the 18″ Schmidt camera at Palomar Observatory. This comet was unique in that it provided the first opportunity for scientists to observe the planetary impact of a comet. Shoemaker–Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in 1994. 18 July 1997 – A road accident near Alice Springs ends the life of Eugene M. Shoemaker, the 20th century’s greatest planetary geologist.  Coroner’s Report 06 Jan 1998 – Aboard an Athena rocket “Lunar Prospector” is launched to the Moon carrying a small amount of Gene’s cremains. It’s mission: to map the moon for elements. It’s discovery: confirmation of water/ice in craters at the lunar poles. 31 July 1999 – Impact of “Lunar Prospector” occurred at 09:52:02 GMT, 02:52am Pacific Daylight Time.  February 2000 – The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous space probe to asteroid 433 Eros was renamed “NEAR Shoemaker” in his honor.  After a year of orbital study, it landed on the asteroid.