Robert M. Quimby (born September 9, 1976) is an American astronomer who received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin.
Prior to pursuing a career in astronomy, Robert Quimby was a member of the ska band 'Reel Big Fish', serving as a second trombonist.
As a lead member of the Texas Supernova Search (TSS), Quimby and his team used the relatively small 18-inch ROTSE-IIIb robotic telescope on McDonald Observatory's Mount Fowlkes, along with a program he designed to track supernovae.
In 2005, Quimby discovered SN 2005ap, at this writing the brightest explosion ever recorded.
[1][2] He is currently Professor of Astronomy at San Diego State University and the director of Mount Laguna Observatory.