A senior research associate at Cornell's Laboratory for Planetary Studies, Thompson was remarkable in combining expertise in organic chemistry, computer imaging data analysis and the theory of light scattering in planetary atmospheres.
He was an associate member of the imaging teams on NASA's Voyager and Galileo missions to the planets, was responsible for widely reprinted Galileo pictures of the Earth in visible and infrared light, and made important contributions to our understanding of the atmospheres and surfaces of the moons Titan and Triton.
Known as a brilliant and conscientious colleague and an inspiring mentor and adviser, Thompson was awarded Cornell's DuPont Teaching Prize as well as its Clark Award for Distinguished Teaching. He was affiliated with Cornell since 1973, where he received an M.S. in chemistry and a Ph.D. in astronomy -- the latter under the guidance of Carl Sagan, with whom he was associated ever since. Since his graduate school days, colleagues said, he dreamed of using Galileo data to determine what molecules are responsible for the colors of Jupiter's clouds, one of the outstanding mysteries of planetary science.
Tragically, he died just after Galileo achieved orbit around Jupiter. Contributions to establish a Thompson Memorial College Scholarship in Science may be sent to Dr. Pete Thompson, 204 Bennington Court, Richmond, Ky. 40475.