Dr. Karl Henize

Dr. Karl Henize, an Ohio native and a true embodiment of an explorer, transformed his childhood fascination with the stars and Buck Rogers into a remarkable career as an astronomer and astronaut. Born in Cincinnati and raised under the dark, star-filled skies of Plainsville, Henize’s early obsession with the cosmos led him to pursue astronomy vigorously. His journey began at the University of Michigan Observatory in 1948, where he commenced his influential survey of the southern sky. By 1954, Henize’s quest for celestial knowledge took him to the Mount Wilson Observatory, and soon after, he became a senior astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, contributing significantly to satellite tracking and celestial cataloging.