Gerrit van der Plas
Astronomer and publisher.
I spent fourteen years in astronomy research, from a PhD on warm gas in planet-forming disks to postdoctoral work in Santiago and Grenoble. In 2011 I started Love Big Island; since 2018 it has been published by Love Hawaiʻi Guides, Inc., which I run.
Record
Two careers, side by side, newest first.
Astronomy, 2003–2020
- 2017–2020
- Postdoctoral researcher, IPAG (Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble), France.
- 2013–2016
- Fondecyt Fellow, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
- 2011–2013
- Postdoctoral researcher, Universidad de Chile, in the Millennium Nucleus on protoplanetary disks in ALMA Early Science.
- 2006–2010
- PhD in astronomy and astrophysics, University of Amsterdam, after an ESO studentship in Munich (2006–2008).
- 2003–2005
- MSc in physics and astronomy, University of Amsterdam.
Principal investigator on ALMA, VLT/SPHERE, X-shooter, IRAM and ATCA programs. Research overview · 63 publications
Hawaiʻi and publishing, 2008–now
- 2026
- sanctuaryoceancount.org: independent, non-commercial Ocean Count results and shore whale-watching guides.
- 2025–2026
- Moved to the Island of Hawaiʻi; based in Volcano since 2026.
- 2023
- Hawaiʻi Destination Specialist & Expert, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.
- 2020
- Launched Love Oʻahu.
- 2018
- Incorporated Love Hawaiʻi Guides, Inc.
- 2011
- Started Love Big Island. Joey, born and raised on the Big Island, is its co-founder.
- 2008
- First visit to the Island of Hawaiʻi, with Joey.
I review every guide page before it goes live; we use AI tools to help draft and check them. Editorial policy: Love Big Island · Love Oʻahu
Selected work
Measuring disk masses across the stellar to substellar transition with ALMA.
Illustrated summaries of my papers on Herbig Ae/Be and brown dwarf disks.
The full list, 2008–2022, with ADS, DOI and arXiv links.
Island of Hawaiʻi guides, each page with a dated change log.
Sanctuary Ocean Count results by island, 2002–2026. Independent; not affiliated with NOAA or the sanctuary.
A Hawaiʻi trip budget from state hotel and vacation-rental rate data, by island and month.