Phil Plait

American astronomer, writer, and skeptic · United States · On the map · Scientists · Born 1964 · age 62

Philip Cary Plait, also known as The Bad Astronomer, is an American astronomer, skeptic, and popular science blogger. Plait has worked as part of the Hubble Space Telescope team, images and spectra of astronomical objects, as well as engaging in public outreach advocacy for NASA missions.

Phil Plait is read about 49 times a day, in 11 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 1 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 400 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2010“It’s amazing to me that not only can we put a probe around Saturn and get images of its moons, but our math and physics are so freaking accurate we can say, "Hey, you know what?”In their words10 February 2010"A marvelous night for a (Saturn) moon dance"Read the whole statement

2009“I’m tired of ignorance held up as inspiration, where vicious anti-intellectualism is considered a positive trait, and where uninformed opinion is displayed as fact.”In their words8 September 2009"The mainstreaming of crazy"Read the whole statement

2008“Other job markets may lay claim to the title, but astronomy is actually the world's oldest profession.”In their wordsp. 2Read the whole statement

“They say that even the brightest star won't shine forever. But in fact, the brightest star would live the shortest amount of time.”In their wordsp. 75-76Read the whole statement

2002“However, science isn't just about showing when you're right; it's also about showing when you're wrong.”In their wordsp. 19Read the whole statement

“Just like people, stars can be important without being terribly bright.”In their wordsp. 115Read the whole statement

1964Born30 September 1964

Also in Deutsch

Media & music

Photos 3

Phil Plait (center) during TAM9 in 2011, with Richard Wiseman and Joe Nickell

The final slide to Plait's presentation at the JREF's 6th The Amazing Meeting convention

Awards

Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

About this person

He has written three books, Bad Astronomy, Death from the Skies, and Under Alien Skies. He has also appeared in several science documentaries, including How the Universe Works on the Discovery Channel. From August 2008 through 2009, he served as president of the James Randi Educational Foundation. Additionally, he wrote and hosted episodes of Crash Course Astronomy, which aired its last episode in 2016.

Country

United States