SARAO conveys its condolences on the passing of Professor Tom Jarrett (SARChi Chair at UCT, an Authority in Infrared Astronomy)

The late Professor Tom Jarrett

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) conveys its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Professor Tom Jarrett, the South African Research Chair in Astrophysics and Space Science (SARChi) at the University of Cape Town, Department of Astronomy.

Professor Jarrett passed away on Wednesday, 3 July 2024, after he suffered a heart attack.

Professor Jarrett’s primary research interests were infrared. astrophysics, extragalactic: nearby galaxies, Star-forming galaxies, archives, catalogues, big data, and large-scale structures (cosmic Web). Professor Jarrett held a BA in Physics & Maths from Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA – 1985 and a PhD in Astronomy, University Of Massachusetts, MA, USA – 1992.

Dr. Jarrett, a native Californian, joined the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) in 1991 after completing his BA in Physics from Pomona College and a PhD in astrophysics at the University of Massachusetts. During his tenure at IPAC, Jarrett has performed hardware instrumentation, software engineering, and scientific research across a wide range of fields in astronomy. He assisted in developing a near-infrared camera system for the Hale 200″ Telescope of the Palomar Observatory, researching young stellar objects, star formation regions, and nearby galaxies.

In 1994, he joined the Two-micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) and was charged with detecting, characterising, and cataloging extended sources using the 2MASS ‘galaxy’ catalogues, Jarrett has conducted research in the large-scale structure that comprises the local universe. In 2003, he joined the Spitzer Legacy teams “SINGS” and “SWIRE”, focusing his research on star formation in low-redshift galaxies. Participating in and leading several Spitzer GO projects, Jarrett has studied interacting galaxies (notably the “Tadpole Galaxy”), clusters, large-scale structures (notably the “Great Attractor”), and the most massive HI galaxy in the local universe (aka “The Coelacanth Galaxy”).

Since 1999, Jarrett has also served in a teaching role as an adjunct professor at Pomona College, creating the course “Life in the Universe”, while also serving as an adviser to senior undergraduate students. Jarrett is a participating member of the Spitzer IRAC Instrument Science Team and was the cognizant software engineer for The WISE aperture photometry system. He was also a member of the Anglo-Australian Observatory Users Committee, and frequently travels to his favorite country, Australia, to work with his colleagues ‘down under’.

Professor Jarrett’s passing is a significant loss to the astronomy fraternity worldwide. His scientific contribution and work will always be remembered and referred to for many years to come.