Horizons Exploring the Universe

About Dana BackmanEric WegrynMichael Seeds

Mike Seeds was a professor of physics and astronomy at Franklin and Marshall College (F&M) in Lancaster Pennsylvania from 1970 until his retirement in 2001. In 1989 he received F&M Colleges Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Mikes love for the history of astronomy led him to create upper-level courses on archeoastronomy and on the Copernican Revolution (Changing Concepts of the Universe). His research interests focused on variable stars and automation of astronomical telescopes. Mike is coauthor with Dana Backman of FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY 14th Edition (2019); STARS AND GALXIES 10th Edition (2019); THE SOLAR SYSTEM 10th Edition (2019); and ASTRO 3rd Edition (2018) all published by Cengage. He was senior consultant for creation of the 20-episode telecourse accompanying his book HORIZONS: EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE. Eric Wegryn is a life-long explorer and explainer. His career began as an aerospace engineer who helped launch NASA's Space Shuttles. Eric transitioned to science earning a Ph.D. in planetary science from the University of Arizona (Lunar & Planetary Lab) as part of the Mars Pathfinder mission. After Mars he helped explore Saturn discovering organic chemicals on Saturn's moons as member of the Cassini mission team at NASA Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute. Eric has taught astronomy engineering and physics courses at several colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has traveled the world chasing solar eclipses and investigating nuclear sites including Hiroshima and Chernobyl. Eric has also authored Just Twelve Men a history of the Moon landings as well as a history of the Space Shuttle program. Dana Backman taught with Mike Seeds in the physics and astronomy department at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster Pennsylvania from 1991 until 2003. He invented and taught a course titled Life in the Universe in F&Ms interdisciplinary foundations program. Dana has also taught introductory solar system astronomy at Santa Clara University plus introductory courses on astronomy astrobiology cosmology and the science of climate change in Stanford Universitys continuing studies program. His research interests focused on infrared observations of planetary system formation and evolution of the solar systems Kuiper belt. Dana is employed by the SETI Institute in Mountain View California as lead for the Astronomy Activation Ambassadors teacher professional development program at NASAs Ames Research Center. Dana is coauthor with Mike Seeds of FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY 14th Edition (2019); STARS AND GALAXIES 10th Edition (2019); THE SOLAR SYSTEM 10th Edition (2019); and ASTRO 3rd Edition (2018) all published by Cengage. Mike Seeds was a professor of physics and astronomy at Franklin and Marshall College (F&M) in Lancaster Pennsylvania from 1970 until his retirement in 2001. In 1989 he received F&M Colleges Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Mikes love for the history of astronomy led him to create upper-level courses on archeoastronomy and on the Copernican Revolution (Changing Concepts of the Universe). His research interests focused on variable stars and automation of astronomical telescopes. Mike is coauthor with Dana Backman of FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY 14th Edition (2019); STARS AND GALXIES 10th Edition (2019); THE SOLAR SYSTEM 10th Edition (2019); and ASTRO 3rd Edition (2018) all published by Cengage. He was senior consultant for creation of the 20-episode telecourse accompanying his book HORIZONS: EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE.