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'''Thomas Ashcraft''' (born 1951) is an American astronomer, naturalist, scientific instrument-maker, and artist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/488/thomas-ashcraft/|title=Thomas Ashcraft &#124; Citizen Scientist / Scientific Instrument Maker / Observer|website=NASA Solar System Exploration}}</ref> He is known for his observations of transient luminous events ([[Sprite (lightning)|lightning sprites]]),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/science/on-the-hunt-for-a-sprite-on-a-midsummers-night.html|title=On the Hunt for a Sprite on a Midsummer's Night|first=Sandra|last=Blakeslee|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> meteoric fireballs,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210315.html|title=APOD: 2021 March 15 - Meteor Fireballs in Light and Sound|website=apod.nasa.gov}}</ref> solar radio and optical phenomena,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123694113?storyId=123694113|title=As Sun Flares Up, Sky Watchers Check Microphones|website=NPR.org}}</ref> and Jupiter radio emissions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://agu2020fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com/?s=32-A3-44-20-C9-2D-4A-0C-32-1B-BF-24-44-37-32-C3|title=AGU - iPosterSessions.com|website=agu2020fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com}}</ref>
'''Thomas Ashcraft''' (born 1951) is an American astronomer, naturalist, scientific instrument-maker, and artist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/488/thomas-ashcraft/|title=Thomas Ashcraft &#124; Citizen Scientist / Scientific Instrument Maker / Observer|website=NASA Solar System Exploration}}</ref> He is known for his observations of transient luminous events ([[Sprite (lightning)|lightning sprites]]),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/science/on-the-hunt-for-a-sprite-on-a-midsummers-night.html|title=On the Hunt for a Sprite on a Midsummer's Night|first=Sandra|last=Blakeslee|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> meteoric fireballs,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210315.html|title=APOD: 2021 March 15 - Meteor Fireballs in Light and Sound|website=apod.nasa.gov}}</ref> solar radio and optical phenomena,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123694113?storyId=123694113|title=As Sun Flares Up, Sky Watchers Check Microphones|website=NPR.org}}</ref> and Jupiter radio emissions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://agu2020fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com/?s=32-A3-44-20-C9-2D-4A-0C-32-1B-BF-24-44-37-32-C3|title=AGU - iPosterSessions.com|website=agu2020fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com}}</ref>


He is currently artist and citizen scientist in residence at the Santa Fe Institute.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heliotown ii |url=https://www.santafe.edu/culture/heliotown-ii |publisher=Santa Fe Institute |access-date=July 26 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.santafe.edu//culture/heliotown-ii|title=Heliotown II &#124; Santa Fe Institute|website=www.santafe.edu}}</ref> He resides and maintains a laboratory and studio outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico where he operates the Observatory of Heliotown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/citizen-scientist-driven-by-the-need-to-discover/article_ef9e2a1c-07eb-11eb-895e-532df1d8b495.html|title=Citizen scientist driven by the need to discover|first=Robert Nott|last=rnott@sfnewmexican.com|website=Santa Fe New Mexican}}</ref> Research-grade images, audio, and video captured at the observatory have been featured on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day blog.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Robert |title=Astronomy Picture of the Day: Meteor Fireballs in Light and Sound |url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210315.html |website=APOD |publisher=apod.nasa.gov |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Robert |title=Astronomy Picture of the Day: Sprite Lightning at 100,000 Frames Per Second |url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210104.html |website=APOD |publisher=apod.nasa.gov |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>
He is currently artist and citizen scientist in residence at the Santa Fe Institute.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heliotown ii |url=https://www.santafe.edu/culture/heliotown-ii |publisher=Santa Fe Institute |access-date=July 26 2022}}</ref> He resides and maintains a laboratory and studio outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico where he operates the Observatory of Heliotown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/citizen-scientist-driven-by-the-need-to-discover/article_ef9e2a1c-07eb-11eb-895e-532df1d8b495.html|title=Citizen scientist driven by the need to discover|first=Robert Nott|last=rnott@sfnewmexican.com|website=Santa Fe New Mexican}}</ref> Research-grade images, audio, and video captured at the observatory have been featured on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day blog.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Robert |title=Astronomy Picture of the Day: Meteor Fireballs in Light and Sound |url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210315.html |website=APOD |publisher=apod.nasa.gov |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nemiroff |first1=Robert |title=Astronomy Picture of the Day: Sprite Lightning at 100,000 Frames Per Second |url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210104.html |website=APOD |publisher=apod.nasa.gov |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>


== Science practice ==
== Science practice ==

Revision as of 16:32, 26 July 2022

Thomas Ashcraft (born 1951) is an American astronomer, naturalist, scientific instrument-maker, and artist.[1] He is known for his observations of transient luminous events (lightning sprites),[2] meteoric fireballs,[3] solar radio and optical phenomena,[4] and Jupiter radio emissions.[5]

He is currently artist and citizen scientist in residence at the Santa Fe Institute.[6] He resides and maintains a laboratory and studio outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico where he operates the Observatory of Heliotown.[7] Research-grade images, audio, and video captured at the observatory have been featured on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day blog.[8][9]

Science practice

In 1992, Ashcraft built the Radio Fireball Observatory[10] for monitoring and recording fireballs, space dust, and meteoric phenomena. He has made numerous innovations in the merging of optical and radio telescope technology.[11] In 2001, he began observing Jupiter, the sun, and ionospheric phenomena with NASA's Radio Jove Project.[12]

In 2009, Ashcraft began noting lightning-generated phenomena called transient luminous events (red sprites)[13] on his radio-optical telescope systems. Over time he has established a multi-faceted observatory devoted to the capture and study of this rarely imaged phenomenon.[14]

Art practice

Ashcraft is primarily a sculptor and installation artist incorporating space, time, mind, sound, and electricity.[15] He is also a figurative sculptor exploring biological subjects such bacteriophages, viruses, microbes, and medicinal plants.[16] He was awarded a Louis Comfort Tiffany Prize[17] in art in 2005.

Selected publications

Papers

  • Gaopeng Lu, Steven A. Cummer, Jingbo Li, Lucian Zigoneanu, Walter A. Lyons, Mark A. Stanley, William Rison, Paul R. Krehbiel, Harald E. Edens, Ronald J. Thomas, William H. Beasley, Stephanie A. Weiss, Richard J. Blakeslee, Eric C. Bruning, Donald R. MacGorman, Tiffany C. Meyer, Kevin Palivec, Thomas Ashcraft, and Tim Samaras (2013) Coordinated observations of sprites and in-cloud lightning flash structure, American Geophysical Union, JGR Atmospheres

References

  1. ^ "Thomas Ashcraft | Citizen Scientist / Scientific Instrument Maker / Observer". NASA Solar System Exploration.
  2. ^ Blakeslee, Sandra (September 28, 2014). "On the Hunt for a Sprite on a Midsummer's Night". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "APOD: 2021 March 15 - Meteor Fireballs in Light and Sound". apod.nasa.gov.
  4. ^ "As Sun Flares Up, Sky Watchers Check Microphones". NPR.org.
  5. ^ "AGU - iPosterSessions.com". agu2020fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com.
  6. ^ "Heliotown ii". Santa Fe Institute. Retrieved July 26 2022. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  7. ^ rnott@sfnewmexican.com, Robert Nott. "Citizen scientist driven by the need to discover". Santa Fe New Mexican.
  8. ^ Nemiroff, Robert. "Astronomy Picture of the Day: Meteor Fireballs in Light and Sound". APOD. apod.nasa.gov. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  9. ^ Nemiroff, Robert. "Astronomy Picture of the Day: Sprite Lightning at 100,000 Frames Per Second". APOD. apod.nasa.gov. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  10. ^ Mexican, Staci Matlock The New. "Artist-turned-astronomer tracks the galaxy's glowing, traveling orbs". Santa Fe New Mexican.
  11. ^ "How an Astronomical Mystery Was Explained by High-Tech Photography". Gizmodo.
  12. ^ "The JOVE Bulletin October 2002 Issue". radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov.
  13. ^ "APOD: 2021 January 4 - Sprite Lightning at 100000 Frames Per Second". apod.nasa.gov.
  14. ^ Mann, Adam. "Otherworldly Photos Capture Mysterious Phenomena in Upper Atmosphere". Wired – via www.wired.com.
  15. ^ "Explorations Of The Invisibles. Freedom & Power In The Electromagnetic • Digicult | Digital Art, Design and Culture". Digicult | Digital Art, Design and Culture. December 5, 2011.
  16. ^ says, Corazon Ledesma (March 5, 2020). "Thomas Ashcraft's Hopeful Reminder in Fearful Times".
  17. ^ "Thomas Ashcraft". The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation.
  • Heliotown, Thomas Ashcraft's observatory website
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