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Dr. Juan Sanchez
Associate Research Scientist
Research Interests
Dr. Juan A. Sanchez’s research interests focus on small bodies, both asteroids and comets, and their relation to the meteorites collected here on Earth. His current work involves the use of ground-based telescopes and analysis of meteorite samples. His research focuses on mineralogical characterization of asteroids, and deriving physical properties of these objects, such as albedo, size, and rotation period, employing for this purpose spectroscopic and photometric data.
Professional History
Dr. Sanchez obtained a B.Sc. and a Masters in Physics with specialization in Astrophysics from the Central University of Venezuela. He got a PhD from the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in Germany with the thesis “Temperature-induced effects and phase reddening on near-Earth asteroids”. Dr. Sanchez worked for five years at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, where he specialized in visible and near-infrared spectroscopy of asteroids. As part of his work he has carried out observations using different telescopes around the world, including: the New Technology Telescope (NTT), at La Silla, Chile; the 2.2 m Telescope, at Calar Alto, Spain; the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii; and the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), at the Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO) in southeastern Arizona.
Honors and Awards
Minor Planet 9284 Juansanchez
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