OK, he wasn't an astronomer, but Rice Univ. Prof. Richard Smalley was a seminal figure in chemistry and one of the fathers of nanotechnology. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and was a role model for anyone who cares about science and technology.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00607.html
He died too young: 62 years old. Leukemia was the cause
RIP Prof Smalley.
Regards,
MTB