John R. Thorstensen

John R. Thorstensen is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College since 1980. He serves as Director of the MDM Observatory (since 2007) and President of the MDM Observatory Corporation. His research focuses on observational studies of cataclysmic binary stars and X-ray binaries. He developed the widely-used astronomical planning software JSkyCalc and its predecessors.

Education: B.A. in Physics from Haverford College (1974), Ph.D. in Astronomy from University of California, Berkeley (1980).

Research emphasizes cataclysmic variable stars' orbital dynamics and population studies. Maintains a comprehensive catalog of cataclysmic variables using multi-source data (ASASSN, ZTF, Gaia). Collaborates internationally through the MDM Observatory consortium. Formerly led ground-based parallax studies before Gaia satellite data rendered this obsolete.

Award-winning contributions to astronomical software and observational astronomy methodologies. Actively involved in observational campaigns at Kitt Peak, Arizona. Encourages queries from astronomers about unpublished orbital period data.