Steven Kilston Explained

Steven D. Kilston (born 1944) is an American astronomer.

Kilston received a B.A. from Harvard University in 1965 and a Ph.D. from UCLA in 1973.^[1] He was Carl Sagan's first undergraduate research student at Harvard, co-authoring "A Search for Life on Earth at Kilometer Resolution".^{[2] [3]} Kilston worked for the Hughes Aircraft Company, the Lockheed Corporation, and Ball Aerospace. He was the principal designer of the Ikonos satellite.^[4]

In 1966, he discovered the Comet Kilston at Lick Observatory.^{[5] [6]}

In 1983, Kilston published a paper in Nature with Leon Knopoff, suggesting that earthquakes were linked to an "alignment of the sun and moon on opposite sides of the Earth that tugged the opposite sides of faults in opposing directions".^{[7] [8]} They successfully predicted the 1987 Superstition Hills earthquakes.

Kilston has envisioned a "Plausible Path to the Stars", in which a spaceship carrying a million inhabitants could reach the few dozen nearest stars in 10,000 years' time.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Steve Kilston . . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080609043214/http://mstars.seti.org/pages/Kilston1.html . 9 June 2008.
2. Web site: Next-Generation Space Telescope (NGST) & Space-Based Optical SETI . Columbus Optical SETI Observatory . 15 June 2024.
3. Book: Wood . Elizabeth A. . Elizabeth A. Wood. Science from Your Airplane Window . 1975 . . 183 . 978-0-486-23205-8 . 15 June 2024.
4. Web site: All About Eclipses with Steve Kilston . . 15 June 2024.
5. Brown . P. L. . Observations of new Comet Kilston 1966b. . The Astronomer . 1966 . 3 . D5 . 1966Astr....3D...5B . 15 June 2024.
6. News: Kramer . Joel R. . Recent Graduate Discovers Comet . 15 June 2024 . . 12 August 1966.
7. News: Maugh . Thomas H. . Leon Knopoff dies at 85; UCLA scientist who applied computer modeling in earthquake research . 15 June 2024 . . 3 February 2011.
8. News: Sullivan . Walter . Walter Sullivan (journalist). A Year of Earthquakes: Is There a Worldwide Link? . 15 June 2024 . . 8 November 1983.
9. Web site: Goldsmith . Donald . Expert Voices Does Humanity's Destiny Lie in Interstellar Space Travel? . . 27 January 2015 . 15 June 2024.