Larry Trafton
- Senior Research Scientist
- McDonald Observatory
- Astronomy
Contact Information
Biography
Education - California Institute of Technology:
- B.S. in Astronomy, 1960
- M.S. in Astronomy, 1961
- Ph.D. in Astronomy and Physics, 1965 ("A Study of the Energy Balance in the Atmospheres of the Major Planets")
Senior Research Scientist, The University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, September 1993 to present.
Research Scientist, The University of Texas at Austin, Astronomy Department and the McDonald Observatory, September 1972 to 1993.
Special Research Associate, The University of Texas at Austin, Astronomy Department and the McDonald Observatory, June 1969 to September 1972.
Project Scientist, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 1968 to May 1969.
Project Officer, 1st Lt., USAF at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 1965 to June 1968.
Member of Instrument Definition Team for the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, 1977 to 1998.
Co-investigator on the Pioneer 10 and 11 Infrared Radiometer Team.
American Astronomical Society and Division of Planetary Sciences:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (Fellow since 1986).
International Astronomical Union.
Research
Atmospheres of the outer planets and satellites, lunar cold traps
Centers and Institutes
- McDonald Observatory
Publications
Awards
- Recipient of NASA award in recognition of contributions made to the Hubble Space Telescope Program.
- Recipient of NASA GSFC's 1991 Group Achievement Award for development of the HST Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph.
- Served on Editorial Board of Icarus from 1976 to 1979.
- Associate then Consulting Editor of Icarus 1980 to 2010.