Daniel B. Caton - Biographical Sketch

Dan Caton (Caton rhymes with "Dayton"), grew up in Tampa, Florida and attended the University of South Florida, graduating in 1973 with a B.A. in astronomy and in physics. He stayed on to get a Masters in astronomy, and married Susan Hatcher in 1976. They moved to Gainesville where he got his Ph.D. in astronomy.

After graduation he took a temporary position at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, for two years. When that position ended he left for a year at Salisbury State College in Maryland. When a tenure-track position came open back at Appalachian, he and Susan returned to Boone, where he eventually became a tenured full professor of physics and astronomy, and Director of Observatories.

His area of expertise is in the study of binary stars--pairs of stars that orbit each other. Such systems include most of the stars in our galaxy--the single stars like our Sun are the exceptions. He also works to debunk pseudoscience and at the same time investigates claims of such phenomena as the Brown Mountain Lights. He has been a regular contributor of columns to the Charlotte Observer and Watauga Democrat.

Susan and Dan have twins, Ashton and Celeste, born in 1991.