Emmons became interested in astronomy after reading a Popular Science article about the 1932 HA, an asteroid that had recently travelled past Earth.
[5][6] Emmons worked at Kent State University as a teacher of astronomy and physics.
[1] The "Richard H. Emmons Award", named for Emmons and consisting of a plaque and a $500 prize cheque, is awarded annually by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific to teachers of college astronomy.
[7] Eligible candidates must demonstrate outstanding achievement in teaching college-level introductory astronomy classes for non-science majors.
The most recent recipients of the Richard H. Emmons Award include: Terry A. Matilsky from Rutgers in 2012, Douglas Duncan from the University of Colorado and the Fiske Planetarium in 2010 and Alex Filippenko of the University of California, Berkeley in 2008.