Far from feeling dwarfed by the vast reaches and energy of the cosmos, what we really learn is that we are the most remarkable and complicated product of cosmic evolution, and our potential is unlimited.
— Sandra Faber
In little localized pockets, the universe is capable of building some beautiful complexity.
Antarctica is a paradise compared to Mars.
It's quite likely that planets and solar systems like ours could be forming in other galaxies in great numbers.
There are some galaxies that not only teach us things but are just gorgeously beautiful to look at. My favorite example is the Antenne, which is a pair of colliding galaxies.
Hubble has established for the first time that the distant universe looks different from the nearby universe.
I take comfort in the fact that it is a beautiful universe, and we belong here and that we fit. This is our home.
The origin of galaxies is one of the fundamental questions of astronomy, and that's what I've been studying.
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.
I graduated from high school in 1962.
I was born in Boston, but I moved to Cleveland when I was three.
The Kecks will allow us, like no other telescope in history, to view the evolving universe that gave us birth.
We're on our own on spaceship Earth. So we have to solve our own problems.
I'm not in favor of manned spaceflight, because I don't see that it goes anywhere.
You could think of the galaxy as a sort of stove with lots of pots on it, and the pots are the interstellar medium, like a chicken broth getting stronger with every reduction. Every time a supernova goes off and sends its heavy elements out into the interstellar medium, we cook up a stew that's better and better for solar systems and life.
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.
Hubble is the most important telescope in history after Galileo's first telescope.
There are kind of two kinds of awards you can get as a scientist. One is Nobel-like in character: it's for one big thing, for a big revolutionary discovery. And it's wonderfully well known, and of course every scientist would love to get a Nobel prize. And there's a few other similar awards. They're for individual blockbuster discoveries.
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.
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 was a tomboy through and through; I hated dresses and was personally miffed that I couldn't join the Little League team.
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.
Great telescopes like the Kecks allow us to explore the River of Time back toward its source.
One lesson astronomy tells us is that we're a tiny mote in a hostile void, and help is too far away.
Hubble is unique. Nothing else can do what it can do. Once it's gone, we're going to be paralyzed.
My favorite galaxy of all is called the Sombrero, NGC 4594. It's an amazing galaxy that is really two galaxies in one.
It's a blessing in a scientific career - the almost daily thrill of scientific discovery.
Receiving the National Medal of Science is the thrill of a lifetime, but good science does not happen in isolation.
We've been given the gift of a billion years of cosmic time, and we should not screw it up. But at the rate we're using up our planet's natural resources and fouling our own nest means we're not going to last a billion years.
I have great respect for the special nature of Mauna Kea and profound regard for Hawaii's culture, environment, and people.
Getting to work at Lick was like being touched by the wand of your fairy godmother.
I was lonely as a kid. Since I had no siblings, I spent a lot of time by myself and a lot of time reading.
I remember spending evenings looking at the sky with my dad, who was interested. He was a civil engineer and was interested in science as a kid. And he always encouraged me.
