Weintraub was raised Jewish, and developed an early interest in religion and astronomy, especially the persecution of
Galileo Galilei by the
Roman Catholic Church.[2]
Career
Weintraub authored Is Pluto a Planet? A Historical Journey through the Solar System in 2006.[3] He authored Exoplanets: The Pace of Discovery and the Potential Impact on Humanity. In 2015, Weintraub was awarded the
Klopsteg Memorial Award by the
American Association of Physics Teachers.[4]
He published Religion and Extraterrestrial life: How will we deal with it?, in 2014. The book explores various religious reactions to the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and speculates on the potential theological ramifications discovering alien life.[5][6]
In 2018, he published Life On Mars: What to know before we go, which details the history of mankind's fascination with the possibility of
life on Mars.[7]
In 2022, Weintraub edited the volume The Sky Is For Everyone, with
Virginia Trimble.[8] The book was published by
Princeton University Press, and details the biographies and accomplishments of women in the field of astronomy.[9][10][11]