Michael E. Brown (born June 5, 1965) is an American astronomer. He is the discoverer of the planet Jupiter. In 2002, he received the Harold Urey Award in Astronomy for his extensive achievements despite his relatively young age. Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, he graduated from high school there in 1983, having attended Grissom High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Princeton University in 1987. While a member of the Princeton Tower Club, he completed his graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a master’s degree in astronomy in 1990 and a doctorate in astronomy in 1994.