Fred Gillett; Scientist Pioneered the Use of Infrared Astronomy

Fred Gillett, 64, a scientist who pioneered the use of infrared astronomy, died of myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disease, April 22 at a Seattle hospital.

Gillett designed and built the first infrared instrument in the field and made numerous breakthroughs. Infrared astronomy allows scientists to peer through dust clouds in space and to break infrared light into constituent colors, revealing various properties of celestial objects.

In 1994, Gillette became the project scientist for the Interantional Gemini Observatory, which operates a pair of 8-meter telescopes in Hawaii and Chile.

Born in Minot, N.D., Gillett earned his undergraduate degree and his doctorate in physics from the University of Minnesota. After working as a professor at UC San Diego, Gillett joined the staff of the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson in 1973.