Kleomenis Tsiganis

Professor Kleomenis Tsiganis is a distinguished Greek astrophysicist and a leading expert in celestial mechanics, currently serving as an Associate Professor and the Director of the Astrophysics, Astronomy, and Mechanics Section within the School of Physics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece. Born in Larissa in 1974, Professor Tsiganis is an alumnus of AUTh, where he completed both his BSc in Physics in 1996 and his PhD in Dynamical Astronomy in 2002. Following his doctoral studies, he broadened his international experience as an EC Marie Curie Post-doc researcher at the prestigious Observatoire de la Côte d’ Azur in Nice, France, from 2002 to 2004, before returning to his alma mater to join the faculty in 2006.

His prolific research career is centered on the dynamical evolution of planetary systems, with particular emphasis on the formation and long-term dynamics of the Solar System and extrasolar planetary systems. Professor Tsiganis is internationally celebrated as one of the principal authors of the influential Nice model, a sophisticated computer simulation published in Nature in 2005 that successfully explains the orbits of the giant planets and the timing of the Late Heavy Bombardment early in the Solar System’s history. His work extends to the dynamics of small celestial bodies, including the study of chaotic motion and the production of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEOs) from the main asteroid belt, as well as crucial contributions to Space Safety Applications, such as planetary defense and the dynamics of space debris.

In recognition of his deep contributions to the field, Professor Tsiganis has received several high-profile distinctions. In 2008, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) honored him by renaming the asteroid 1999RC221 to (21775) Tsiganis. In 2016, he was awarded the International “”Paolo Farinella Prize”” for his exceptional work applying celestial mechanics to the natural bodies of the Solar System. Beyond academia, he has been involved in practical space science, serving as a Planetary Science instructor for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Basic Training Program for Astronauts and, notably, as a key member of the international research team for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.