Space Weather Living History: Dr. David Hathaway

Show | Grades 6-12+ | In this December 2012 interview, Dr. David Hathaway, a solar astronomer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, discusses his career trajectory into solar physics and outlines what he considers the most significant historical milestones in space weather research. Dr. Hathaway initially wanted to study stellar structure, evolution, and stellar interiors. During graduate school, he realized the difficulty of modeling convective heat transport in stars. Guided by mentors, he recognized that our Sun -- a "star in our backyard" -- offered the perfect, observable model for stellar convection. His specific focus on space weather began when his supervisor, Dr. John Davis, challenged him to predict the Sunspot cycle. Hathaway developed successful prediction methods and, because of his knack for public speaking, frequently interacted with reporters. This required him to deeply educate himself on the historical and technological impacts of space weather.

Credit: NASA via grant NNX11AJ61G

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