Lecar Prize Lectures
The Lecar Prize was endowed by a generous gift from the estate of Myron S. Lecar to encourage and recognize exceptional contributions to the study of extrasolar planets in particular and theoretical astrophysics in general. The recipient receives an honorarium and delivers a lecture at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Dr. Myron "Mike" Lecar joined the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in 1965, at the invitation of Fred Whipple. He remained with SAO until his retirement in 2009. Mike's research interests included gravitational dynamics, planet formation, and the dynamics of our solar system. Asteroid (4417) Lecar is named in his honor. Among his many accomplishments, Mike was particularly proud of his role in establishing the first astronomical observatory in Israel. Mike was a founding member of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative. He was a friend and mentor to many.
Click on the titles for abstracts of the lectures. Videos are available on the CfA Colloquium YouTube channel.
| Speaker | Date | Title | Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. David W. Latham | 10/22/2020 | Completing the Copernican Revolution | Video |
| David Latham | 04/23/2020 | TBA | |
| Renu Malhotra | 09/13/2018 | Prospects for unseen planets beyond Neptune | Video |
| Natalie Batalha | 04/06/2017 | Kepler's Exoplanet Legacy & the Passing of the Baton | Video |
| Eric Agol | 03/10/2016 | Transit timing variations in theory and in practice | Video |
| Tsevi Mazeh | 01/29/2015 | The Exo-planet Obliquity as a Fingerprint of Planetary Formation and Evolution | Video |
| Doug Lin | 05/22/2014 | Ubiquity of Planets and Diversity of Planetary Systems: Origin and destiny of multiple super Earths and gas giants | Video |
