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Philip Nicholson's research focuses on orbital dynamics, planetary ring systems, and natural satellites, with a strong emphasis on infrared observational studies of planets and their moons. His work has significantly contributed to the studies of ring systems around Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune through Voyager observations, ground-based stellar occultations, and high-precision observations using the 5-meter Hale Telescope at Palomar. Notably, he has investigated the dynamical properties of small moons around Jupiter and Saturn, which were discovered by the Voyager spacecraft. Nicholson has also conducted research on the rotation of natural satellites and the zodiacal dust bands identified by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite in 1983. Collaborating with colleagues in Canada and Harvard, he has played a key role in the discovery of numerous outer satellites of Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune. As a member of the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer science team for the NASA/ESA Cassini mission to Saturn, he led a group of astronomers from Cornell and Caltech in studying the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter in July 1994. Furthermore, Nicholson has served on several committees related to planetary and lunar exploration and contributed substantially to advisory committees for the Hubble Space Telescope and the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. He has co-authored multiple review articles on planetary ring dynamics, particularly addressing the ring systems of Uranus and Neptune.
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