Stephen P. Maran

Stephen P. Maran is an American astronomer and popularizer who is known for his books, articles, and popular lectures for the general public, including Astronomy For Dummies.

Early life

Maran was born in Brooklyn, where he experienced astronomy by visiting the Hayden Planetarium and by viewing the sky from a deserted Bronx golf course. He graduated from New York's Stuyvesant High School in 1955, then received the bachelor's degree in physics from Brooklyn College in 1959. His postgraduate work at the University of Michigan earned him the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in astronomy in 1961 and 1964, respectively. He is married to journalist Sally Scott Maran, with whom he has three children, Enid, Elissa, and Michael(deceased).

He served for 25 years (1984-2009) as the Press Officer for the American Astronomical Society.

Awards Maran was awarded a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 1991. He is winner of the 1999 Klumpke-Roberts Award, the 2007 George Van Biesbroeck Prize and the 2011 Andrew Gemant Award.

Minor planet 9768 Stephenmaran, discovered in 1992, was named in his honor by the International Astronomical Union

Books

Stephen P. Maran and Laurence A. Marschall, 2009, Pluto Confidential: An Insider Account of the Ongoing Battles over the Status of Pluto, Benbella Books, Inc., isbn+978-1933771-80-9