Welcome to the AstroRav blog!
This blog focuses on exploring the confluence of Torah and Astronomy, my two great interests that I love to share with anyone and everyone.
Sometimes I may also throw in a post or two that deal with other sciences, or, occasionally, some drasha on Torah not directly related to science that I just really wanted to share.
My BIO:
Disclaimer: I am not an actual Rav but I play one in the blogosphere. (By which I mean I don’t have Yoreh Yoreh smicha, yet… However, FWIW – which is not much – Agudath Israel does address me as “Rav” in their mail to Daf Yomi maggidei shiur.) I just really liked “AstroRav” as a name for this blog, so I went with it. So, please, don’t ask me any shailas about what to do if a drop of milk falls into your chicken soup. But please do ask me about astronomy…
I am a real astronomer. I have a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Maryland, where my research focused on computer modeling of cometary spectroscopy for the Deep Impact space mission. I also hold a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Columbia University (NY, NY) and dual bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Computer Science from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). I have taught astronomy as a Visiting Professor at West Chester University (West Chester, PA).