- Richard P. Binzel
Richard (Rick) P. Binzel is a Professor of Planetary Sciences at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology . He is the inventor of theTorino Scale , a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated withnear-Earth object s (NEOs) such asasteroid s andcomet s.Binzel was awarded the
H. C. Urey Prize by theAmerican Astronomical Society in1991 . He also was awarded aMacVicar Faculty Fellowship [cite news | url = http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1994/macvicar-0209.html | title = Four more named MacVicar Fellows | date =1994-02-09 | publisher = MIT ] for teaching excellence at MIT in1994 .Binzel was on the
Planet Definition Committee [cite web | url = http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060814_pluto_fate.html | title = Pluto's Fate to be Decided by 'Scientific and Simple' Planet Definition | author = Robert Roy Britt | date =2006-08-14 | publisher =SPACE.com ] that developed the proposal to theInternational Astronomical Union 's meeting inPrague in2006 on whetherPluto should be considered aplanet . Their proposal was revised during the meeting andPluto is now considered adwarf planet .Dr. Binzel assists his family in raising
guide dog puppies forGuiding Eyes for the Blind . His favorite dog was his first, Norman.Fact|date=December 2007References
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