Stephen Smartt

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Stephen J. Smartt CBE FRS (born 9 November 1968) is an astrophysicist from Northern Ireland who specialises in stellar evolution, supernovae and time domain sky surveys. [1] He is credited with the discovery of stars that explode as supernovae, measuring their mass, luminosity and the chemical elements synthesized. [1] Smartt is a Professor of Astrophysics at the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queen's University Belfast. [2] He is a patron of Northern Ireland Humanists. [3]

Contents

Born and raised in Belfast, Smartt was educated at Belfast Royal Academy and studied physics and applied mathematics at Queen’s University Belfast. He was awarded a PhD in astrophysics in 1996. [1]

Smartt worked at the Isaac Newton Group of telescopes and held a fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Smartt returned to Belfast in 2004 and established a group working on stellar evolution, supernovae and time domain sky surveys.[ citation needed ] In September 2022 Smartt was appointed the Wetton Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and Director of the Hintze Centre for Astrophysical Surveys.

Honours and awards

Smartt was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to science. [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stephen Smartt | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  2. "Stephen Smartt". Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  3. "New Northern Ireland Humanists patron: Professor Stephen Smartt". Humanists UK. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  4. "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B10.
  5. "Stephen J Smartt". Royal Irish Academy. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  6. "Stephen Smartt". Royal Society. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  7. "Stephen Smartt". Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 4 May 2020.