Announcements - NRC astronomer named Scientist of the Year

January 21, 2009 — Montréal, Quebec

Dr. Christian Marois of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) was named Scientist of the Year 2008 by Radio-Canada today. This award recognizes his team's achievement in capturing the first-ever images of planets circling a star other than Earth's Sun. The award is shared by the other Canadian members of the team: Dr. David Lafrenière (University of Toronto) and Dr. René Doyon (Université de Montréal).

Radio-Canada, the French-language service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, has honoured a scientific personality as Scientist of the Year each year since 1987.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I want to congratulate Dr. Christian Marois and the other Canadian scientists for this world-first discovery," said the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State, Science and Technology. "Your discovery has not only made a major contribution to scientists' understanding of the cosmos, but it has also captured the imaginations of millions. In that sense you are helping to inspire a new generation of Canadian scientists."

"NRC is proud of Dr. Christian Marois and his groundbreaking contribution to the field of astronomy. Dr. Marois and his team have advanced direct imaging techniques that will revolutionize astronomy research," said NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe. "Our state-of-the-art facilities at the NRC Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics,   our world class expertise in astronomy research and the international collaborations we have forged, have all contributed to the science of astronomy. Astronomy drives our technological and economic development by contributing to the advancement of areas such as medical imaging, optical sensors, wireless communication, data management software and global positioning systems."

The team, led by Dr. Marois, used the Gemini North and Keck telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii to capture infrared images of the planets. The images were then confirmed using advanced instrumentation and image-processing technology, allowing the team to identify three planets larger than Jupiter orbiting a star known as HR 8799. This star, 130 light years from Earth in the constellation of Pegasus, is faintly visible to the naked eye.

"The National Research Council has an excellent reputation around the world in astronomy and this discovery is our reward following eight years of research," said Marois. "When I first saw the images of the exoplanets, I couldn't believe I was looking at the real thing — a second solar system. Our discovery has opened the door for much more work, including more discoveries about HR 8799 and imaging other solar systems."

In 2005, Dr. Christian Marois won the Plaskett Medal for his doctoral thesis at Université de Montréal: "Direct Exoplanet Imaging around Sun-like Stars: Beating the Speckle Noise with Innovative Imaging Techniques." So far, Dr. Marois and his team have been recognized for their discovery by:

• Science: The magazine recognized the first direct images of exoplanets as the second biggest scientific breakthrough of 2008.
• Space.com: The popular web site ranked the team's discovery as the top astronomy story of the year.
• Time: The discovery ranked sixth amongst the magazine's "Top 10 Scientific Discoveries of 2008."

Recognized globally for research and innovation, the National Research Council of Canada is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology. NRC serves the needs of the Canadian astronomical community through strategic partnerships in international facilities, the development of innovative instruments that embody world-class technology, and excellence in forefront research.

2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first astronomical observations through a telescope and has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). The NRC Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics can arrange interviews with our astronomers and provide you with photographs and background information for your astronomy-related stories.