The 3rd Annual Zoomer List: Canada’s Top 45 Over 45: David H. Levy

David H. Levy, 63, Amateur Astronomer

He may have pursued degrees in English literature, but he dedicated himself to the field of astronomy. His accomplishments, which are every bit astronomical, include discovering 23 comets over the last half century, authoring 35 books (most of which on the subject of astronomy), hosting the aptly named Let’s Talk Stars Internet talk show, co-designing a special edition telescope named after him and collecting honorary doctorates in addition to his PhD on Allusions to Celestial Events in early modern English literature, of course. This year, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada even posted his personal logs online, with tens of thousands of extraterrestrial hunting entries exem- plifying devotion to what started as a childhood hobby. He told the Globe and Mail: “You can’t be an amateur surgeon but you can be an amateur astronomer and accomplish a lot of things.”