Tom Marsh (astronomer)

Tom Marsh
Marsh in 2010
Born
Thomas Richard Marsh

(1961-11-17)17 November 1961
Old Windsor, Berkshire, England
Disappeared16 September 2022
Atacama Desert, Chile
Diedc. 16 September 2022(2022-09-16) (aged 60)
Atacama Desert, Chile
Body discovered
10 November 2022
Atacama Desert, Chile
Occupations
Employers
AwardsHerschel Medal, 2018
Academic background
Alma materQueens' College, Cambridge

Thomas Richard Marsh (17 November 1961 – c. 16 September 2022) was a British astronomer and astrophysicist. His research topics included the accretion and evolution of binary star systems.[1] He was awarded the Herschel Medal in 2018 for his development of doppler tomography which he used to study compact binary stars.[2][3]

International and public engagement

Marsh worked to bring astronomy to less affluent countries and maintained a strong link with Thailand. This enabled astronomers there to use his high-speed cameras and be part of these international endeavours. He also worked with amateur astronomers, and one of his high-profile papers resulted from an initial observation by an amateur astronomer that he followed up.[4]

Disappearance

In 2022, Marsh was a visiting astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO).[5]

On 14 September, Marsh arrived with a PhD student from the University of Warwick at the ESO La Silla Observatory for a 4-day observing visit.[5][6][7] On 16 September, Marsh disappeared during either a hike or observing run at the La Silla.[5][8][9] The search for Marsh was extended when his mobile phone and various articles of clothing were found in the Atacama Desert.[6]

On 10 November, Marsh's body was found approximately two miles from La Silla by the Grupo de Operaciones Policiales Especiales on a steep, rocky slope next to a cluster of rocks in the Atacama Desert.[5][6][8][10] Marsh was found dressed only from the waist down.[10][8]

Inquest

A coroner's inquest into the nature of Marsh's death is due to take place on 27 March 2026 at Warwickshire County Council.[11]

Legacy

In 2024, a memorial for Marsh was erected at the La Silla Observatory on the road between the New Technology Telescope and the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Simion @Yonescat, Florin (24 November 2022). "Professor Tom Marsh". The Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Professor Tom Marsh, astrophysicist whose research on binary stars helped shed light on how the universe evolved", The Daily Telegraph, 18 November 2022
  3. ↑ RAS medals and awards honour leading astronomers and geophysicists, Royal Astronomical Society, 2018, archived from the original on 14 January 2018
  4. ↑ "Professor Tom Marsh". warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Body confirmed as Warwick University professor missing in Chile". BBC News. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Montes, Rocío (11 November 2022). "Body of missing British astronomer Thomas Marsh found in Chile". El País. Santiago, Chile. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ↑ T13 (7 October 2022). ""Me dijo algo super extraño": estudiante revela detalles de discusión con astrónomo desaparecido". Teletrece (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. 1 2 3 Coen, Susie; Tegel, Simeon (11 November 2022). "Mystery surrounds desert death of British astrophysicist". The Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "Warwick University professor goes missing during Chile research trip". BBC News. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  10. 1 2 Perry, Keith (11 November 2022). "Body of missing astronomer Tom Marsh found in Chile's Atacama desert". The Times.
  11. ↑ "Professor Thomas Richard MARSH – Coroner's inquests". Coroner's inquests. Warwick: Warwickshire County Council. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  12. ↑ Dhillon, Vik; Marsh, Felicity; Steeghs, Danny (23 August 2024). "A Memorial for Tom Marsh on La Silla". ESO. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
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