Dr. Richard Ellis has been a major part of astronomy since he was an undergrad in the 1960s when he served on committees for the creation of the Hubble Telescope. Since then, he has worked in observatories across the globe and published a book titled When Galaxies Were Born: The Quest for Cosmic Dawn, which explores the moment in the history of the universe when galaxies first emerged from darkness. In this episode Alan talks with Dr. Ellis about his experiences and what he hopes the future will bring for the field of astronomy.
Dr. Richard Ellis is a professor of astrophysics at University College London where he studied before earning his doctorate at Oxford. His career includes roles at the University of Durham, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge, Caltech, and the European Southern Observatory, and as director of the Palomar Observatory. He has received numerous awards, such as the Michael Faraday Gold Medal, the Royal Medal, and the Gruber Cosmology Prize. Dr. Ellis was also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His recent book is When Galaxies Were Born: The Quest for Cosmic Dawn.