International Astronomical Union Commission 54 announces two new prizes in astronomy

The International Astronomical Union Commission 54, Optical and Infrared Interferometry, is pleased to announce the first award of the Fizeau Prize, to Antoine Labeyrie, and the Michelson Prize, to Dr Michael Shao.

The Fizeau Prize for 2010 is awarded for lifetime achievement to Antoine Labeyrie, professor at the College de France, for his invention of speckle interferometry, the development of the I2T and GI2T interferometers, and contributions to the development and implementation of the VLTI. Prof. Labeyrie’s innovative genius challenges conventional wisdom with ideas such as the hypertelescope, laser-trapped space mirrors, and pupil densification; his visionary work has meant much to the community, and has been a forceful reminder that our scientific ambitions are limited only by our imaginations.

The Michelson Prize for 2010 is awarded for lifetime achievement to Dr Michael Shao of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for his pioneering work on ground-based and space-based interferometers, including the Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Palomar Testbed Interferometer, Keck Interferometer, and Space Interferometry Mission. Dr. Shao has been a prominent leader in the interferometry community, developing new avenues of research, including narrow-angle astrometry and nulling.

The Michelson Prize is sponsored by the Mount Wilson Institute, and the Fizeau Prize is sponsored by the Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur, in a joint program with Commission 54. Each awardee will receive a certificate of award and an honorarium.