Brett J. Gladman
Canadian astronomer and discoverer of many moons and minor planets.
Brett James Gladman is a Canadian astronomer and a full professor at the University of British Columbia, where he also holds the Canada Research Chair in planetary astronomy. His work spans both theoretical and observational astronomy, including large-scale computer simulations of planetary dynamics and the discovery of numerous moons and minor planets.
Gladman is particularly recognized for his research on the dynamics of the Solar System. He has investigated how meteorites travel between planets, how meteoroids escape the main asteroid belt, and the potential for life to be transported through this process, a concept known as panspermia. He also studies how planets form, especially the formation of the giant planets.
He has discovered or co-discovered many Solar System objects, including asteroids, Kuiper Belt comets, and moons of the giant planets. These include six moons of Uranus (Caliban, Sycorax, Prospero, Setebos, Stephano, and Ferdinand), a dozen moons of Saturn (grouped by themes of Canadian Inuit, French, and Norse mythology), Neptune’s moon Neso, and six moons of Jupiter. He is also part of the Canada–France Ecliptic Plane Survey and the Outer Solar System Origins Survey, which have tracked the largest well-understood sample of Kuiper Belt comets, including unusual objects like 2004 XR190 ("Buffy") and 2008 KV42 ("Drac"), the first trans-Neptunian object found on a retrograde orbit.
In 2002, Gladman received the H. C. Urey Prize from the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Sciences. The main-belt asteroid 7638 Gladman is named after him. From 2008 to 2011, he served on and chaired the Science Advisory Council of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. He was awarded a Killam Research Fellowship in 2015. His discoveries of minor planets number in the hundreds.
- Born
- April 19, 1966
- Nationality
- Canadian
- Position
- Full professor at the University of British Columbia's Department of Physics and Astronomy
- Chair
- Canada Research Chair in planetary astronomy
- Award
- H. C. Urey Prize (2002)
- Asteroid named after
- 7638 Gladman
- Fellowship
- Killam Research Fellowship (2015)
Lore & Background
Gladman is best known for his work in dynamical astronomy in the Solar System. He has studied the transport of meteorites between planets, the delivery of meteoroids from the main asteroid belt, and the possibility of panspermia. He also studies planet formation, especially the puzzle of how the giant planets came to be. He is discoverer or co-discoverer of many astronomical bodies, including asteroids, Kuiper Belt comets, and many moons of the giant planets: Uranus (Caliban, Sycorax, Prospero, Setebos, Stephano, and Ferdinand), Saturn (a dozen satellites in several groups named after Canadian Inuit gods, French deities, and Norse gods), Neptune (the satellite Neso), and Jupiter (discovery and co-discovery of 6 moons). Gladman is a member of the Canada–France Ecliptic Plane Survey (CFEPS) and the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS), which has detected and tracked the world's largest sample of well-understood Kuiper belt comets, including unusual objects like 2004 XR190 ('Buffy') and 2008 KV42 ('Drac'), the first trans-Neptunian object on a retrograde orbit around the Sun.
Reader's Guide
Gladman's significance lies in his extensive contributions to the discovery and understanding of trans-Neptunian objects and outer Solar System bodies. As a member of CFEPS and OSSOS, he helped produce the world's largest sample of well-understood Kuiper belt comets, including the notable retrograde object 2008 KV42 ('Drac'). His discoveries of numerous moons of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter have expanded the known inventory of the Solar System. His theoretical work on planetary dynamics, meteorite transport, and panspermia addresses fundamental questions about the formation and evolution of the Solar System. The naming of asteroid 7638 Gladman in his honor and his receipt of the H. C. Urey Prize and Killam Research Fellowship reflect the recognition of his work within the astronomical community. His service on the Science Advisory Council of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope further underscores his role in observational astronomy.
Did You Know?
- Gladman is the discoverer or co-discoverer of six moons of Uranus: Caliban, Sycorax, Prospero, Setebos, Stephano, and Ferdinand.
- He was awarded the H. C. Urey Prize in 2002.
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