Donald Liebenberg

Donald Liebenberg is an American astronomer and adjunct professor in the department of physics and astronomy at Clemson University.

Donald Liebenberg
Born1931 or 1932 (age 88–89)[1]
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin
Known forHaving witnessed 27 total solar eclipses
Spouse(s)Norma Liebenberg
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsClemson University (current)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (former)

An avowed eclipse chaser, he best is known for having traveled around the world to see 27 total solar eclipses since 1954.[1][2] He is also regarded as having spent more time in totality, the darkest area within the moon's umbra during a total solar eclipse, than anyone else alive.[2][3]

Education

Liebenberg attended the University of Wisconsin as a physics major in the early 1950s.[1] He holds three degrees, including a PhD, from his alma mater.[4]

Career and eclipses

Liebenberg witnessed his first total solar eclipse on June 30, 1954, in Mellen, Wisconsin.[4] Since then, he has traveled around the world to see solar eclipses, witnessing a total of 27 total solar eclipses. He observed his 27th, the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, from his driveway; by coincidence, his house in Salem, South Carolina, was located in the path of totality.[1][4][5][6]

His primary motivation for pursuing solar eclipses has been to study the sun's corona.[1] To this end, he wrote a proposal and obtained a grant from the National Science Foundation in 1954.[4] He later worked for the Los Alamos National Laboratory carrying out research into the temperature and energy input of the corona.[1][4] In 1973, Liebenberg successfully petitioned French officials to commission an early Concorde supersonic aircraft for use in observing the solar eclipse of June 30, 1973.[5] Flying on the Concorde, a group of scientists from Los Alamos and the Paris Observarory, including Liebenberg, remained in the path of totality for 74 minutes while conducting various scientific measurements of the corona.[1][2][4][7] For comparison, the theoretical maximum duration for totality during the third millennium for any stationary point or observer on the Earth's surface is approximately seven and a half minutes.[8]

He has worked as an adjunct professor in Clemson's department of physics and astronomy since 1996.[9]

Personal life

Liebenberg and his wife Norma[5] reside in Salem, South Carolina.[1]

References
  1. Koren, Marina (21 August 2017). "The King of Totality". The Atlantic. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  2. Greenfieldboyce, Nell (8 August 2017). "Go See It, Eclipse Chasers Urge. 'Your First Time Is Always Special'". NPR. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  3. Stephenson, Lauren; Seales, Chance (18 August 2017). "Meet The Man About To Witness His 27th Total Solar Eclipse". ABC Action News WFTS. Newsy. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  4. LaFleur, Elizabeth (27 April 2017). "Watch the eclipse and be 'amazed' like this guy who's seen 26 of them". Greenville News. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  5. Borenstein, Seth (17 August 2017). "Chasing eclipses across the globe is a way of life for some". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  6. "Liebenberg's research shines more light on coronal emissions during total solar eclipses". Clemson Newsstand. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  7. Mulkin, Barb. "In Flight: The Story of Los Alamos Eclipse Missions". Los Alamos Science. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  8. Meeus, J (2003). "The maximum possible duration of a total solar eclipse". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 113: 344 (Table 1). Bibcode:2003JBAA..113..343M. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  9. Melvin, Jim. "26 AND COUNTING / The Liebenberg Chronicles / Eclipse 9 / Part 2 of Concorde flight". The Newsstand – Clemson University. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
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