Derrick H Pitts

“In my discipline, artistic expression is found in the composition of astrophotography featuring foreground Earth scenes and background scenes of the night sky. It is also found in the composition/orientation of views of galaxies and nebulae, in a way meant to evoke emotion or reference to other objects.”

Astronomer Derrick Pitts has been associated with The Franklin Institute since 1978, designing and presenting many of the museum’s public programs and exhibits. A NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2010, he also served as NASA’s first ‘Astrobiology Ambassador’ and at the invitation of Space Shuttle astronauts, has flown items of his own creation on two different missions. Pitts was twice invited to participate in the first ever White House star parties where he assisted the Obama family as they looked through Pitts’ telescope. Locally, Pitts is a long-time contributor on WHYY91FM's Sky Talk and SkyTour and 88.5 WXPN's Kids' Corner program. Pitts and his wife Linda love to travel, especially through California’s Napa Valley wine region. 

Where do art and your discipline meet?

“In my discipline, artistic expression is found in the composition of astrophotography featuring foreground Earth scenes and background scenes of the night sky or in the composition/orientation of views of galaxies and nebulae in a way meant to evoke emotion or reference to other objects.”

Who are your local heroes?

“My local heroes are the Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., whom I've been honored to work with over the past decade.”

Biography:

Astronomer Derrick Pitts has been associated with The Franklin Institute since 1978, designing and presenting many of the museum’s public programs and exhibits. A NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2010, he also served as NASA’s first ‘Astrobiology Ambassador’ for the UNCF’s Astrobiology Partnership Program and at the invitation of Space Shuttle astronauts, has flown items of his own creation on two different missions. Pitts appears regularly as a science content expert for national and international media outlets, including CBS, PBS, BBC, MSNBC, History, Discovery, Science, NatGeo, NOVA, and Curiosity Stream. Locally, Pitts has appeared on radio weekly on WHYY91FM's Sky Talk and SkyTour programs since 1993 and monthly on 88.5 WXPN's Kids' Corner program since 1994. Pitts was twice invited (2010, 2013) to participate in the first ever White House star parties where he met and assisted President Obama and his family as they looked through Pitts’ telescope. He has received numerous awards including honorary degrees from LaSalle University, Rowan University and Wagner Free Institute of Science. In October 2019, he was selected as the Philadelphia Geographical Society ‘Explorer of the Year’ and the Philadelphia Public Relations Association selected him as their ‘Gold Medal Award’ recipient for 2019. He serves as a board member for numerous astronomy agencies and organizations around the world. Pitts and his wife Linda love to travel, especially through California’s Napa Valley wine region. His twitter handle is @CoolAstronomer and his motto is ‘Eat, breathe, do science. Sleep later.’