Antarctica is a paradise compared to Mars.
The realization that baryonic matter is only a trace component of the universe revealed our understanding of the cosmos as shockingly incomplete and was one of the milestones that ushered in the era of modern cosmology.
I think it's amazing that the entire community of astronomy has done what it's done. We've been able to deduce the nature of time and space and where we all came from. It's the most amazing detective story in history.
I was the kind of kid who liked omnivorously almost all kinds of science - rock collections, fossils - and I like leaves, I like plants, and I like biology.
The origin of galaxies is one of the fundamental questions of astronomy, and that's what I've been studying.
Hubble is the most important telescope in history after Galileo's first telescope.
Getting to work at Lick was like being touched by the wand of your fairy godmother.
Like many astronomers who use the great telescopes on Mauna Kea, I have participated personally and joyfully in ceremonies to celebrate the profound cosmic understanding that comes from joining ancient Hawaiian navigator traditions with the techniques of modern astronomy.
I'm not in favor of manned spaceflight, because I don't see that it goes anywhere.
Very few astronomers will be mourned with the same degree of love and admiration as Vera Rubin.
I don't recall my parents ever steering me toward or away from science. It was more that I was steered toward learning and excellence in the classroom.
