Pluto has now established an official link to India as it proudly carries the name of the Indian scientist -Bishun Khare on one of its craters.
In August 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) honored Bishun Khare after his death by naming a crater on Pluto after him called Khare crater recognising his significant contributions related to Tholins, an organic molecule that plays a crucial role in creating the darkest and most crimson regions of Pluto.
Born on June 27, 1933, in Varanasi, Bishun Khare was a true polymath with degrees in physics, mathematics, and chemistry from @Banaras Hindu University.
His journey led him to New York, where he pursued higher education. There, he earned his doctorate in physics from @Syracuse University before embarking on post-doctoral research at Stony Brook University and the University of Toronto.
Khare’s career took a fascinating turn when he teamed up with the legendary American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan at Cornell University.
Together, they delved into groundbreaking research on celestial bodies like Saturn’s moon Titan and its sister moon Enceladus. Their work focused on understanding the formation of compounds within these celestial bodies’ atmospheres, a critical puzzle piece in the quest to comprehend the origins of life on other planets.
In the 1970s, Khare and Sagan conducted an experiment at the University of Chicago, building upon earlier research that involved heating water and atmospheric gasses with artificial lighting to create amino acids.
This experiment provided evidence that amino acids, the building blocks of life, could have naturally formed in the Earth’s primordial atmosphere billions of years ago.
Khare’s collaboration with Sagan extended to numerous research papers and projects. Notably, they explored Tholins, a compound responsible for the distinct dark and red patches on Pluto’s surface.
In 1996, Khare joined NASA Ames as a Senior National Research Fellow, followed by a position at the SETI Institute two years later.
Throughout his career, Khare secured several patents related to his research on carbon nanotubes, a material he believed would be pivotal in space exploration.
Additionally, he contributed significantly to advancing our knowledge of other star systems. His legacy lives on through features on Pluto named after him and other notable figures.
Bishun Khare’s story is a remarkable journey through the cosmos, where his scientific endeavors continue to inspire our quest for understanding the universe.
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