Charles L. Bennett

Biography

Abstract

Charles Bennett is an astrophysicist, who has helped quantify key properties of the universe, including its age, the dark and baryonic matter content, the cosmological constant, and the Hubble constant.

Important Dates

November 16, 1956Birth, New Brunswick (N.J.).

1978Obtained BS in Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park (Md.).

1984Obtained PhD in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1984 – 2004Astrophysicist (1984-2004); Acting Head, Infrared Astrophysics Branch (1993-1994); and Head, Infrared Astrophysics Branch (1994-2000), Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Greenbelt (Md.).

1985 – 1996Member, Cosmic Background Explorer Science Working Group, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1999Fellow, American Physical Society.

2003Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

2004Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

2004Senior Scientist for Experimental Cosmology, Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Greenbelt (Md.).

2005Member, National Academy of Sciences.

2005 – presentMember, Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (2005-present); Member, Space Studies Board (2006-present); and Co-Chair, Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (2006-present), National Academy of Sciences.

2005 – presentProfessor of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (Md.).

2009Awarded Comstock Prize in Physics, National Academy of Sciences.

Occupation

Astrophysicist.

Places

Birth

New Brunswick (N.J.)

Undergraduate Education

College Park (Md.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Employment

Greenbelt (Md.)

Baltimore (Md.)

Subjects

Astrophysics.

Cosmic background radiation.

Dark matter (Astronomy).

Galaxies Evolution.

Superclusters.

Relationships

People

Colleagues

Fletcher, James Chipman, 1919-1991

Both employed at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Gehrels, Neil

Both employed at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Giacconi, Riccardo

Both employed at Johns Hopkins University.

Mather, John C.

Both employed at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Riess, Adam, 1969-

Both employed at Johns Hopkins University.

Additional

Holt, Stephen S.

Simpson, Joanne

Both employed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Trimble, Virginia

Institutions

Major Positions

Goddard Space Flight Center

Astrophysicist; Acting Head, Infrared Astrophysics Branch; Head, Infrared Astrophysics Branch; and Senior Scientist for Experimental Cosmology.

Johns Hopkins University. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics and Astronomy.

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Astrophysicist, Goddard Space Flight Center; Acting Head, Infrared Astrophysics Branch, Goddard Space Flight Center; Head, Infrared Astrophysics Branch, Goddard Space Flight Center; and Member, Cosmic Background Explorer Science Working Group.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Physical Society

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Obtained PhD (1984).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member, Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics; Member, Space Studies Board; Awarded 2009 Comstock Prize in Physics; and Co-Chair, Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics.

University of Maryland at College Park. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Obtained BS (1978).

Resources

Published Resources

Author

After the first three minutes : College Park, MD 1990 / editors, Stephen S. Holt, Charles L. Bennett, Virginia Trimble.

Dark matter : College Park, MD October, 1994 / editor[s], Stephen S. Holt, Charles L. Bennett.