Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Taking Measure

Just a Standard Blog

Steven Brown

Steven Brown received a B.S. degree in physics from the College of William and Mary and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under the guidance of Steve Rand. Following a postdoctoral appointment at the Naval Research Laboratory working with Tom Kennedy, he came to NIST in 1997. Since coming to NIST his focus has been on developing laser applications in radiometry. He is currently a physicist in the Sensor Science Division’s Remote Sensing Group looking at ways to improve the calibration of Earth-observing satellite sensors.

Six men stand in front of an airplane in a hangar, with equipment displayed on carts in front of them.

From Waxlight to Moonlight: 21st Century Standard Candles at NIST

July 6, 2022

Before I tell you about the high-altitude NASA aircraft we use and the lunar observatory we are building, let’s talk about the earliest standard for measuring

Our Science in Your Inbox

Subscribe to our weekly emails.