Leon Silver | |
|---|---|
 Silver in 1972 during the Apollo 17 landing | |
| Born | Leon Theodore Silver April 9, 1925 Monticello, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 31, 2022 (aged 96) Arcadia, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Lee Silver |
| Education | Ph.D., Geology & Geochemistry (1955) |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
| Occupation | Geology professor |
| Employer | Caltech (emeritus) |
| Known for | Training of Apollo astronauts in field geology |
Leon Theodore "Lee" Silver (April 9, 1925 – January 31, 2022) was an American geologist who was professor of geology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He was an instructor to the Apollo 13, 15, 16, and 17 astronaut crews. Working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), he taught astronauts how to perform field geology, essentially creating lunar field geology as a new discipline. His training is credited with a significant improvement in the J-Mission Apollo flights' scientific returns. After the Apollo program, he became a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1974. He retired in 1996 as the W. M. Keck Foundation Professor for Resource Geology, emeritus, at Caltech.