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Shoemaker by Levy: The Man Who Made an Impact
It was a lucky twist of fate when in the early1980s David Levy, a writer and amateur astronomer, joined up with the famous scientist Eugene Shoemaker and his wife, Carolyn, to search for comets from an observation post on Palomar Mountain in Southern California. Their collaboration would lead to the 1993 discovery of the most remarkable comet ever recorded, Shoemaker-Levy 9, with its several nuclei, five tails, and two sheets of debris spread out in its orbit plane.
A year later, Levy would be by the Shoemakers' side again when their comet ended its four-billion-year-long journey through the solar system and collided with Jupiter in the most stunning astronomical display of the century. Not only did this collision revolutionize our understanding of the history of the solar system, but it also offered a spectacular confirmation of one scientist's life work.
As a close friend and colleague of Shoemaker (who died in 1997 at the age of 69), Levy offers a uniquely insightful account of his life and the way it has shaped our thinking about the universe. Early in his training as a geologist, Shoemaker suspected that it wasn't volcanic activity but rather collisions with comets and asteroids that created most of the craters on the moon and most other bodies in the solar system. Convincing the scientific community of the plausibility of "impact theory", and demonstrating the potential of such occurrences to explain events such as the extinction of the dinosaurs, became Shoemaker's mission.
Through conversations with Shoemaker and his family, Levy reconstructs the journey that began with a young geologist's serious desire to go to the moon in the late 1940s. Sent by the government to find a way to harvest plutonium, Shoemaker instead found evidence in desert craters for what was to become his impact theory. While he never became an astronaut, he did become the first geologist hired by NASA and subsequently set the research agenda for the first manned lunar landing.
After a series of victories and setbacks for Shoemaker, the collision of Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter provided the most convincing proof to date of the role of impacts in our solar system. Levy's explanation of the scientific reasoning that guided Shoemaker in his career up to this dramatic point—as well as his personal portrait of a man who found white-water rafting to be an easy way to relax—sets these fascinating events in a human scale. This biography shows what Shoemaker's legacy will be for our understanding of the story of the Earth well into the twenty-first century.
A year later, Levy would be by the Shoemakers' side again when their comet ended its four-billion-year-long journey through the solar system and collided with Jupiter in the most stunning astronomical display of the century. Not only did this collision revolutionize our understanding of the history of the solar system, but it also offered a spectacular confirmation of one scientist's life work.
As a close friend and colleague of Shoemaker (who died in 1997 at the age of 69), Levy offers a uniquely insightful account of his life and the way it has shaped our thinking about the universe. Early in his training as a geologist, Shoemaker suspected that it wasn't volcanic activity but rather collisions with comets and asteroids that created most of the craters on the moon and most other bodies in the solar system. Convincing the scientific community of the plausibility of "impact theory", and demonstrating the potential of such occurrences to explain events such as the extinction of the dinosaurs, became Shoemaker's mission.
Through conversations with Shoemaker and his family, Levy reconstructs the journey that began with a young geologist's serious desire to go to the moon in the late 1940s. Sent by the government to find a way to harvest plutonium, Shoemaker instead found evidence in desert craters for what was to become his impact theory. While he never became an astronaut, he did become the first geologist hired by NASA and subsequently set the research agenda for the first manned lunar landing.
After a series of victories and setbacks for Shoemaker, the collision of Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter provided the most convincing proof to date of the role of impacts in our solar system. Levy's explanation of the scientific reasoning that guided Shoemaker in his career up to this dramatic point—as well as his personal portrait of a man who found white-water rafting to be an easy way to relax—sets these fascinating events in a human scale. This biography shows what Shoemaker's legacy will be for our understanding of the story of the Earth well into the twenty-first century.
303 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
David H. Levy
76 books20 followersDavid Levy is a prominent astronomer and author, most famous for his co-discovery in 1993 of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with the planet Jupiter in 1994.
Levy was born in Canada, but now lives in Arizona. He has been involved with astronomy, as an observer, promoter, and author, for his entire adult life. Levy has discovered twenty two comets, given innumerable lectures, television appearances, and published articles in the major science and astronomy magazines.
He gained a Phd in English literature in 2010. There is an asteroid named in his honour, Levy 3673. He is married to Wendee Levy.
Levy was born in Canada, but now lives in Arizona. He has been involved with astronomy, as an observer, promoter, and author, for his entire adult life. Levy has discovered twenty two comets, given innumerable lectures, television appearances, and published articles in the major science and astronomy magazines.
He gained a Phd in English literature in 2010. There is an asteroid named in his honour, Levy 3673. He is married to Wendee Levy.
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February 24, 2014
I've long wanted to learn more about Gene Shoemaker (who hasn't?), so I looked forward to this book. I couldn't have asked for a more intimate portrait unless it was written by Gene's wife Carolyn. David H. Levy, after all, worked very closely with Gene and co-discovered many comets.
By any account, Gene Shoemaker added tremendously to our understanding of impacts, both terrestrial and on other planets and moons. He was a pioneer in the field; in fact he basically created the field. In addition he and Carolyn located a staggering number of comets (staggering compared to others who have looked for them).
My only complaint about the book is that I wish David had described a bit more of how he met and got to know Gene.
There's a picture in the book of Walter Alvarez and Gene together, with a caption along the lines of "The two great scientists." I asked Walter about Gene. He said that Gene was one of the top two field geologists he's ever met (the other being Jan Smit). Coming from Walter, that's high praise indeed.
The world of geoscience has been greatly enriched by Gene Shoemaker's work, and his early, tragic death cut short a spectacular career.
By any account, Gene Shoemaker added tremendously to our understanding of impacts, both terrestrial and on other planets and moons. He was a pioneer in the field; in fact he basically created the field. In addition he and Carolyn located a staggering number of comets (staggering compared to others who have looked for them).
My only complaint about the book is that I wish David had described a bit more of how he met and got to know Gene.
There's a picture in the book of Walter Alvarez and Gene together, with a caption along the lines of "The two great scientists." I asked Walter about Gene. He said that Gene was one of the top two field geologists he's ever met (the other being Jan Smit). Coming from Walter, that's high praise indeed.
The world of geoscience has been greatly enriched by Gene Shoemaker's work, and his early, tragic death cut short a spectacular career.
Displaying 1 of 1 review