*1950 - † 1987

After studies at the California Institute of Technology he received a BSc in 1972 and worked as Associate Professor for Astronomy at the University of Arizona. His work concentrated on three fields:

1.) the determination of the Hubble Constant Ho2 using the Tully Fisher relation (ApJ; 303, I (1986)),

2.) carbon rich stars (together with J. Mould) and

3.) the velocity distribution of those stars in spheric dwarf galaxies ( together with Edward Olszewski).

4.) M. Aaronson was killed during a tragic accident in the evening hours of 30 April 1987 in the dome of the 4-m Mayall Telescope atop Kitt Peak. Due to a malfunction of the emergency stop, Aaronson got caught in the catwalk door of the turning telescope dome when the outer stepladder closed it. Minor Planet (3277) Aaronson is named in his honour. Reference: Sterneund Weltraun126 (1987), Nr. 9, p. 465 (incl. drawing) Dictionary of Minor Planets, 2. Edition, by Lutz D. Schmadel, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.