Gary Emerson, July 10, 1943 - July 29, 2024
Gary Paul Emerson of Tyrone, New Mexico, died on July 29, 2024, after a long illness. He was 81. He was known in Silver City for his astronomy presentations and his many friendships, including a special relationship with Sally Stewart, who died in 2011. Emerson was born on July 10, 1943, in Los Angeles to Lenova Klutts Emerson and Paul Emerson. He grew up in California, Chicago, Arkansas and Oklahoma. It was in Chicago where a favorite teacher developed his lifelong interest in astronomy. As a high school freshman, he was selected by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for Operation Moon watch, a volunteer observer program established after the Soviet launch of Sputnik. After high school, Emerson joined the Marine Corps and graduated from its electronics school. He also studied at the University of Hawaii, Arizona Western College and New Mexico State University. In 1966, he was in Las Cruces on assignment for Northwestern University to observe the moon for NASA’s Apollo missions. He then worked as a solar observer for the National Center for Atmospheric Research Center’s High-Altitude Observatory while attending the University of Colorado in Boulder. Emerson worked at the university’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, where he was involved in experiments on NASA aircraft and the development of spacecraft instruments. For two summers, he operated the observatory on Mount Evans in Colorado. At Ball Aerospace in Boulder, he was an astrophysicist who worked on space satellites and other programs such as the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Deep Impact, which slammed a spacecraft into Comet Tempel 1 to examine its composition. His experience and skills in astronomy, aeronautics and electronics led him to expeditions around the world, including India, Kenya and Antarctica. In Colorado, he built the E.E. Barnard Observatory with telescopes he crafted himself outside his home near Golden Gate State Park. Using these instruments, he discovered the only asteroid ever recorded from Colorado and completed assignments from agencies such as Rockwell International and the United States Air Force. During his 40-year career, he worked on the Kepler space telescope, which found thousands of planets around stars, and spacecraft that have visited every planet in the solar system except Mercury. Emerson has presented his personal research in a number of professional papers delivered at astronomical societies. He has been published in Smithsonian Air and Space magazine and other journals. His images have been used in documentary films, astronomy calendars and postcards. In addition to capturing space images, Emerson was an avid photographer of nature, railroads and windmills. He also was a bird watcher and belonged to several nature conservation organizations. He produced award-winning documentary films “Windsong,” on the history of wind power in America, and “Sand and Gravel Is for the Birds,” about the environmentally sensitive reclamation of a mine in Colorado. “Windsong” won three gold medals at major film festivals, was chosen as one of only 10 films of its kind to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival and has aired on PBS. He retired from Ball Aerospace in 2005 and moved to Silver City. As a way to pay forward the fascination of astronomy his Chicago schoolteacher instilled in him, Emerson shared his knowledge of the universe through popular community presentations and star parties, where guests could look through his telescopes at comets, planets and other celestial bodies.
Preceding him in death are his parents, including stepfather John Haworth, and his first wife, Teresa Elizabeth Blimm Hemingway. He is survived by his former wife, Paula Hansley; three daughters, Christine Emerson of Helena, Montana; Cheryl Danehart of Ellicott City, Maryland; and Paula Wachsman of Reno, Nevada; son-in-law Donald Wachsman; two grandchildren, Adam Wachsman and Talia Wachsman; a sister; a brother; and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Emerson’s life will be planned in the future. Mourners are invited to make a contribution in his name to the National Audubon Society or the conservation charity of their choice.
“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.”— Carl Sagan
Cremation will take place at Terrazas Crematory. Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels and Crematory “Trust care for the ones you love” ~ 575-537-0777. To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.
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