In January 2009 world-renowned amateur astronomer and comet discoverer David H. Levy joins Astronomy magazine as a Contributing Editor. Levy will write a monthly column for the world’s most popular magazine on astronomy, which has a circulation of more than 125,000 monthly issues. Levy’s first column will appear in the June 2009 issue.

Levy is most famous for discovering 22 comets over his long career, including the co-discovery of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which broke apart and slammed into Jupiter in 1994. He is the author or editor of 35 books and products, has served as Science Editor for Parade magazine, and has written for most of the popular astronomy magazines in existence, including Sky & Telescope and Deep Sky.

Levy also won an Emmy for his 1998 participation on the writing team for the Discovery Channel documentary Three Minutes to Impact.

Anyone who has been around for a long time as an amateur astronomer knows how entertaining Levy is as a speaker. He has given more than 1,000 lectures and popular astronomy talks and has appeared on a wide variety of television programs to promote astronomy, including The Today Show, ABC’s World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and other shows. Levy is the recipient of five honorary degrees from various institutions.

He lives with his wife Wendee in Vail, Arizona, where they operate the Jarnac Observatory, surveying the sky for comets and promoting astronomical education.

Astronomy magazine editors are especially proud to add Levy to a distinguished group of popular columnists that includes Bob Berman, Glenn Chaple, Phil Harrington, and Stephen James O’Meara.

(photo) David H. Levy with Obadiah, his largest automated telescope (credit: Wendee Levy)