Eugene Merle Shoemaker | |
|---|---|
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| Born | April 28, 1928 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Died | July 18, 1997 (aged 69) near Alice Springs, Australia |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology Princeton University |
| Known for | Planetary science Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 |
| Spouse | Carolyn Spellmann (m. 1951) |
| Awards | G. K. Gilbert Award (1983) Barringer Medal (1984) National Medal of Science (1992) William Bowie Medal (1996) James Craig Watson Medal (1998) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Planetary geology[1] |
| Institutions | U.S. Geological Survey, California Institute of Technology |
| Thesis | Impact mechanics at Meteor Crater, Arizona. (1960) |
| Doctoral advisor | Harry Hammond Hess |
Eugene Merle Shoemaker (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was an American geologist. He co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn S. Shoemaker and David H. Levy. This comet hit Jupiter in July 1994: the impact was televised around the world. Shoemaker also studied terrestrial craters, such as Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona, and along with Edward Chao provided the first conclusive evidence of its origin as an impact crater. He was also the first director of the United States Geological Survey's Astrogeology Research Program.
He was killed in a car accident while visiting an impact crater site in Australia. After his death, some of his ashes were carried to the Moon with the Lunar Prospector mission.