# Phil Christensen

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{{Short description|American planetary scientist}}
{{Infobox scientist
|name              = Phil Christensen
|image             = Phil_Christensen.jpg
|caption           = photo courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech (2005)
|image_size        = 
|birth_date        = 1953
|birth_place       = [Utah](/source/Utah)
|death_date        = 
|death_place       = 
|residence         = 
|citizenship       = 
|ethnicity         = 
|fields            = [Planetary geology](/source/Planetary_geology)
|workplaces        = [Arizona State University](/source/Arizona_State_University)
|alma_mater        = [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science), [MS](/source/Master_of_Science), [PhD](/source/PhD))
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|influences        = 
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|awards            = [Whipple Award](/source/Whipple_Award) {{small|(2018)}}
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}}

'''Philip Russel Christensen''' (born 1953) is a [geologist](/source/geologist) whose research interests focus on the composition, physical properties, processes, and [morphology](/source/geomorphology) of planetary surfaces, with an emphasis on [Mars](/source/Mars) and the [Earth](/source/Earth).  He is currently a Regents' [Professor](/source/Professor) and the Ed and Helen Korrick Professor of Geological Sciences at [Arizona State University](/source/Arizona_State_University) (ASU).<ref name="MPC-object" />

==Education==
Christensen earned his B.S. degree in [geology](/source/geology) from the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles) (UCLA) in 1976. He earned his M.S. in 1978 and his Ph.D. in 1981 in [geophysics](/source/geophysics) and [space physics](/source/space_physics), both from UCLA.

==Career==
Along with serving on the faculty of the Department of Geology at Arizona State University since 1981, Christensen is the [principal investigator](/source/principal_investigator) for the [Mars Global Surveyor](/source/Mars_Global_Surveyor) [Thermal Emission Spectrometer](/source/Thermal_Emission_Spectrometer) (TES), the [Mars Odyssey](/source/Mars_Odyssey) [THEMIS](/source/Thermal_Emission_Imaging_System), the [Europa Clipper](/source/Europa_Clipper) [Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System](/source/Europa_Thermal_Emission_Imaging_System) and the [Lucy](/source/Lucy_(spacecraft)) Thermal Emission Spectrometer instruments, as well as a co-investigator for the [Mars Exploration Rover](/source/Mars_Exploration_Rover)s, responsible for the [Mini-TES](/source/Mini-TES) instruments. He also serves on the research staff of the [Center for Meteorite Studies](/source/Center_for_Meteorite_Studies) museum on the ASU campus and is the director of the [Mars Space Flight Facility](/source/Mars_Space_Flight_Facility). He served as co-chair of the [Planetary Science Decadal Survey](/source/Planetary_Science_Decadal_Survey) in 2022, with [Robin M. Canup](/source/Robin_M._Canup).

His discovery (based on [Thermal Emission Spectrometer](/source/Thermal_Emission_Spectrometer) data) of crystalline [hematite](/source/hematite) in [Meridiani Planum](/source/Meridiani_Planum) was instrumental in that area's choice as the landing site for the [Mars Exploration Rover](/source/Mars_Exploration_Rover) [Opportunity](/source/Opportunity_rover).

==Awards and honors==
* Christensen was awarded the [Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal](/source/NASA_Exceptional_Scientific_Achievement_Medal) by [NASA](/source/NASA) in 2003, and was elected as a [Fellow](/source/Fellow) of the [American Geophysical Union](/source/American_Geophysical_Union) in 2004. 
* In September, 2009, he served as chair of the Mars Panel of the National Research Council's 2013-2022 Decadal survey<ref name="ASU-marspanel" /> on planetary science. 
* Asteroid [90388 Philchristensen](/source/90388_Philchristensen), discovered by the [Catalina Sky Survey](/source/Catalina_Sky_Survey) in 2003, was named in his honor.<ref name="MPC-object" /><ref name="3TV11Mar2015" /> The official {{MoMP|90388|naming citation}} was published by the [Minor Planet Center](/source/Minor_Planet_Center) on 12 July 2014 ({{small|[M.P.C.](/source/Minor_Planet_Circulars) 89085}}).<ref name="MPC-Circulars-Archive" />
* In August, 2018, he was awarded the Whipple Award by AGU for his contributions to planetary science.<ref name="AGU-award" />

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="MPC-object">{{cite web
  |title      = (90388) Philchristensen
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=90388
  |accessdate = 22 January 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Circulars-Archive">{{cite web
  |title      = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html
  |accessdate = 22 January 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="3TV11Mar2015">{{cite news
  |title      = Asteroids named for 2 ASU professors
  |work       = 3TV
  |location   = Phoenix, Arizona
  |date       = March 11, 2016
  |url        = http://www.azfamily.com/story/28383950/asteroids-named-for-2-asu-professors
  |url-status = dead
  |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160920090019/https://www.azfamily.com/story/28383950/asteroids-named-for-2-asu-professors/
  |archivedate= 20 September 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="ASU-marspanel">{{cite web
  |title      = Space scientists meet at ASU to plan Mars exploration &#124; ASU Now: Access, Excellence, Impact
  |publisher  = ASU news – Arizona State University
  |date       = 2009-09-04
  |url        = http://asunews.asu.edu/20090904_marspanel
  |accessdate = 22 January 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="AGU-award">{{cite web
  |title      = 2018 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers
  |date = 30 July 2018
 |publisher  = AGU
  |url        = https://eos.org/agu-news/2018-agu-section-awardees-and-named-lecturers
  |accessdate = 22 January 2020}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

==External links==
* [https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/75976/cv Philip R. Christensen], Curriculum Vitae
* [https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/75976 ASU Profile for Philip R. Christensen], Arizona State University – School of Earth and Space Exploration
* [http://christensen.asu.edu Phil Christensen's homepage]
* [http://tes.mars.asu.edu TES Instrument Homepage]
* [http://themis.mars.asu.edu THEMIS Instrument Homepage]
* [http://minites.mars.asu.edu MTES Instrument Homepage]
* [http://otes.asu.edu OTES (OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer) instrument homepage]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christensen, Phil}}
Category:1953 births
Category:Arizona State University faculty
Category:Fellows of the American Geophysical Union
Category:Living people
Category:American planetary scientists
Category:UCLA College of Letters and Science alumni

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Phil Christensen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Christensen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Christensen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.