Richard P. Binzel

Richard (Rick) P. Binzel is a Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the inventor of the Torino Scale, a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids and comets.

Binzel was awarded the H. C. Urey Prize by the American Astronomical Society in 1991. He also was awarded a MacVicar 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 in 1994.

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 the International Astronomical Union's meeting in Prague in 2006 on whether Pluto should be considered a planet. Their proposal was revised during the meeting and Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet.

Dr. Binzel assists his family in raising guide dog puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. His favorite dog was his first, Norman.Fact|date=December 2007

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