Astrophysicist Dr Michael Mumma

Credit: CARLOS MUNOZ-YAGUE/EURELIOS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Caption: Michael Mumma. Portrait of Dr Michael Mumma, astrophysicist, on a background of a comet on a starfield. Dr Mumma works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre on extraterrestrial physics, and studies the nature and composition of comets. Comets are lumps of rock and ice believed to be remnants from the formation of the Solar system. Dr Mumma and others believe that comets can reveal clues about the birth of this and other planetary systems, and even the origins of life. Only a fraction of the comets in the Solar system come close enough to the Sun and Earth to allow detailed study. Photographed in 1997.

Release details: Model release not available. Property release not required.

Keywords: astrophysicist, comet, michael, mumma, portraits, researcher, surname m

Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.