Dr. Gerard van Belle

Director of Science

Stellar Astronomy/Instrumentation
PhD University of Wyoming, 1996

Dr. van Belle joined Lowell Observatory’s science staff in 2011 and is a tenured astronomer, and the Director of Science at the observatory.  He is an internationally recognized expert in the design, construction, commissioning, and use of optical telescope arrays for carrying out astronomical observations at the highest levels of spatial resolution, including IOTA, PTI, Keck Interferometer, CHARA, VLTI-PRIMA and -MATISSE, and NPOI.

His award-winning astrophysical research projects have been pioneering in the fields of fundamental stellar parameters, stellar surface imaging, and characterization of exoplanet host stars.  Dr. van Belle’s current research focuses on leaps in high-resolution capabilities with next-generation facilities such as the Big Fringe Telescope and the lunar-based MoonLITE project.  At home he is a not-quite-incompetent homebrewer, and is restoring a vintage Stern Meteor pinball machine.

Check out Dr. van Belle’s webpage.