The prize citation for Dr. Binzel’s Barry Prize reads:
By means of his pioneering study of asteroids, meteorites, and planets, Richard Binzel has fueled humanity’s exploration of space, revealed the hidden history of the planet Pluto, resisted political distortion of space programs, and established new methods for discovering celestial objects. His development of the Torino Scale has made it easier for explorers of the cosmos to evaluate and prepare for collision threats. The Academy honors Dr. Binzel’s distinguished contributions to humanity’s knowledge of the cosmos, and its desire to discover what lies beyond the panorama of the darkened sky.
Richard P. Binzel is professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he specializes in the study of asteroids and the planet Pluto. He is the inventor of the Tonio Scale, a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the NASA Silver Achievement Medal, the Goddard Trophy of the National Air and Space Museum, and the Space Foundation’s Jack L. Swigert Exploration Award. He is a fellow of the Meteoritical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
November 2025
The prize citation for Dr. Binzel’s Barry Prize reads:
By means of his pioneering study of asteroids, meteorites, and planets, Richard Binzel has fueled humanity’s exploration of space, revealed the hidden history of the planet Pluto, resisted political distortion of space programs, and established new methods for discovering celestial objects. His development of the Torino Scale has made it easier for explorers of the cosmos to evaluate and prepare for collision threats. The Academy honors Dr. Binzel’s distinguished contributions to humanity’s knowledge of the cosmos, and its desire to discover what lies beyond the panorama of the darkened sky.
Richard P. Binzel is professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he specializes in the study of asteroids and the planet Pluto. He is the inventor of the Tonio Scale, a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the NASA Silver Achievement Medal, the Goddard Trophy of the National Air and Space Museum, and the Space Foundation’s Jack L. Swigert Exploration Award. He is a fellow of the Meteoritical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
November 2025