Harold Y. McSween
Encyclopedia
Harry "Hap" Y. McSween is a Professor of Planetary Geoscience and Distinguished Professor of Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He specializes in meteorite
s, particularly chondrite
s, and studies them to understand the formation of the solar system
, in the process, publishing hundreds of papers on the cosmochemistry
, mineralogy
, and petrology
of those meteorites. McSween has also published four books on the subject.
McSween has been President of the Meteoritical Society
, Chair of the Planetary Division of the Geological Society of America
, and a Councilor of the Geological Society of America. He also is a member on several advisory committees for NASA
and the National Research Council
.
He became involved with the Mars Pathfinder
mission in 1997 as a member of the science team, then on the team for Mars Global Surveyor
. Since then McSween has been a co-investigator on both the Mars Odyssey and Mars Exploration Rovers missions. He will also be a co-investigator for the upcoming Dawn Mission
.
Honors include the Leonard Medal
from the Meteoritical Society
, the Leconte Medal from the South Carolina Science Council, and the Fellow Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
McSween also has an asteroid
named for him: 5223 McSween
(1981 EX6).
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
s, particularly chondrite
Chondrite
Chondrites are stony meteorites that have not been modified due to melting or differentiation of the parent body. They formed when various types of dust and small grains that were present in the early solar system accreted to form primitive asteroids...
s, and studies them to understand the formation of the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, in the process, publishing hundreds of papers on the cosmochemistry
Cosmochemistry
Cosmochemistry or chemical cosmology is the study of the chemical composition of matter in the universe and the processes that led to those compositions. This is done primarily through the study of the chemical composition of meteorites and other physical samples...
, mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
, and petrology
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
of those meteorites. McSween has also published four books on the subject.
McSween has been President of the Meteoritical Society
Meteoritical Society
The Meteoritical Society is a non-profit scholarly organization founded in 1933 to promote research and education in planetary science with emphasis on studies of meteorites and other extraterrestrial materials that further our understanding of the origin and history of the solar system.The...
, Chair of the Planetary Division of the Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...
, and a Councilor of the Geological Society of America. He also is a member on several advisory committees for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
.
He became involved with the Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder was an American spacecraft that landed a base station with roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight wheeled robotic rover named Sojourner.Launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II booster a...
mission in 1997 as a member of the science team, then on the team for Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Global Surveyor
The Mars Global Surveyor was a US spacecraft developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched November 1996. It began the United States's return to Mars after a 10-year absence. It completed its primary mission in January 2001 and was in its third extended mission phase when, on 2...
. Since then McSween has been a co-investigator on both the Mars Odyssey and Mars Exploration Rovers missions. He will also be a co-investigator for the upcoming Dawn Mission
Dawn Mission
Dawn is a NASA spacecraft tasked with the exploration and study of the two largest members of the asteroid belt – Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. The spacecraft was constructed with some European cooperation, with partners in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands providing Dawns framing...
.
Honors include the Leonard Medal
Leonard Medal
The Leonard Medal honors outstanding contributions to the science of meteoritics and closely allied fields. It is awarded by the Meteoritical Society. It was established in 1962 to honor the first President of the Society, Frederick C. Leonard....
from the Meteoritical Society
Meteoritical Society
The Meteoritical Society is a non-profit scholarly organization founded in 1933 to promote research and education in planetary science with emphasis on studies of meteorites and other extraterrestrial materials that further our understanding of the origin and history of the solar system.The...
, the Leconte Medal from the South Carolina Science Council, and the Fellow Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.
McSween also has an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
named for him: 5223 McSween
5223 McSween
5223 McSween is an outer main-belt asteroid discovered on March 6, 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring Observatory in the course of the U.K. Schmidt-Caltech Asteroid Survey.- External links :*...
(1981 EX6).
peer-reviewed Journal articles
He is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, of which the most cited are:- What we have learned about Mars from SNC meteorites by McSween Jr, H.Y. Meteoritics Volume 29, Issue 6, 1994, Pages 757-779 cited 282 times
- The chemical composition of martian soil and rocks returned by the mobile alpha proton x-ray spectrometer: Preliminary results from the x-ray mode" by Rieder, R.a , Economou, T. , Wänke, H., Turkevich, A. , Crisp, J.c , Brückner, J. , Dreibus, G. , McSween Jr., H.Y. Science Volume 278, Issue 5344, 5 December 1997, Pages 1771-1774 , cited 227 times