Dr. Samuel Barden

Dr. Samuel Barden of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories is shown here at the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope on Kitt Peak with Hydra, the computer-controlled robot that positions optical fibers in the telescope focal plane, enabling simultaneous observations of up to 100 astronomical objects. Dr. Barden has been awarded the 1998 Maria and Eric Muhlmann Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for his pioneering use of optical fibers with astronomical spectrographs.