Sun Kwok

Sun Kwok is leading world authority on the subject of astrochemistry and stellar evolution. He is best known for his theory on the origin of planetary nebulae and the death of Sun-like stars. His recent research has been on the topic of the synthesis of complex organic compounds in the late stages of stellar evolution. He is the author of many books, including The Origin and Evolution of Planetary Nebulae (2000), Cosmic Butterflies (2001), Physics and Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium (2007), and Organic Matter in the Universe (2012). He has been a guest observer on many space missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Infrared Space Observatory. He currently serves as the President of Commission 34 interstellar Matter of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), as well as Vice President of IAU Commission 51 Bioastronomy. He served as the chairman of IAU Planetary Nebulae Working Group between 1994 and 2001, and as organizing committee member of IAU Astrochemistry Working Group.

In addition to professional writings, he has also written many articles in popular astronomy magazines. After the very successful book Cosmic Butterflies (2001), he recently published another popular science book Stardust: the Cosmic Seeds of Life (2013).