Out-of-This-World Research Gets a Philanthropic Boost
Members of the Space Innovation Council support astronomy and planetary science research at Caltech and JPL.
Next-Generation Astronomy
Twenty years ago, we knew only of planets in our solar system, and gravitational waves were just a prediction of Einstein’s theories. Now—thanks in great part to Caltech’s unmatched access to observatories and leadership in inventing new instruments, approaches, and theories—we have identified thousands of planets orbiting other suns, and Caltech and MIT shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for making Einstein’s prediction a reality. With your support, Caltech scholars can uncover even more secrets about the structure and evolution of the universe.
To start a conversation about your potential gift, email give@caltech.edu or call (626) 395-4863.
New Fellowship Honors Robbie Vogt, Who Shaped World-Leading Observatories
Devoted educator deepened campus–JPL ties and helped bring about Voyager, the W. M. Keck Observatory, LIGO
Space Is the Place: Couple’s Generosity Launches New Graduate Fellowships
Since he saw Sputnik 1 as a child, Caltech trustee and Distinguished Alumni Award winner David W. Thompson (MS ’78) has been reaching for the stars.
In Search of Alien Planets
Erik Petigura marvels at how far his field of astronomy has come since his childhood in the early 1990s, when he first became hooked on science after watching Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series.
Go Ahead, Jump
The ballerina is an avatar of certain qualities—among them the ambition, skill, and courage to take bold leaps. Offstage, ballet lover Rachel Theios has infused those same characteristics into her budding research career in astronomy. Pursuing her first publication as a Caltech graduate student, she has shown the vision and bravery to question some of the fundamentals of her field.
There’s Something in the Air (Out There)
HD 187123 b is Cam Buzard’s favorite planet. About 160 light years away in the constellation Cygnus, it circles a star about as massive as our sun—only so close that a year flies by in three days. It weighs more than 150 Earths and sizzles at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Friend of Caltech Makes Landmark Gift to Build a Better World
“You ought to leave the world better than you found it,” engineer Allen Davis was known to say. And he did: Davis, who passed away at age 91 in 2015, left more than $60 million from his estate to Caltech.
The Caltech Effect: November 2017
In this issue of The Caltech Effect, we explore the notion of familial ties across many dimensions—generations, labs, even the Milky Way.