Dr. Michael E. Brown

Mike Brown is the Richard and Barbara Rosenberg Professor of Planetary Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology and has been on the faculty there since 1996. He specializes in the discovery and study of bodies at the edge of the solar system. Among his numerous scientific accomplishments, he is best known for his discovery of Eris, the largest object found in the solar system in 150 years, and the object which led to the debate and eventual demotion of Pluto from a real planet to a dwarf planet. Feature articles about Brown and his work have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Discover, and his discoveries have been covered on front pages of countless newspapers worldwide.

Mid-Sized Planetary Body in Kuiper Belt Could Float In Water

 

Planetary scientist Michael Brown has measured the density of a planetary body in the Kuiper Belt that is 650 km wide - and he found that its density is lower than water. This largest rock found in solar system can float in water. Brown published the results in this week's The Astrophysical Journal Letters.