Alan Charles Gilmore (born 1944 in
Greymouth,
New Zealand) is a New Zealand
astronomer and a discoverer of
minor planets and other
astronomical object
An astronomical object, celestial object, stellar object or heavenly body is a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe. In astronomy, the terms ''object'' and ''body'' are often us ...
s.
He is credited by the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Function
...
with the discovery of 41
minor planets, all but one in collaboration with his wife
Pamela M. Kilmartin
Pamela M. Kilmartin is a New Zealand astronomer and a co-discoverer of minor planets and comets.
She is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 41 asteroids, all in collaboration with her husband, the astronomer Alan C. Gilmo ...
. Both astronomers are also active
nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
- and
comet-hunters.
Until their retirement in 2014, Gilmore and Kilmartin worked at
Mount John University Observatory
University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory (UCMJO), previously known as Mt John University Observatory (MJUO), is New Zealand's premier astronomical research observatory. It is situated at ASL atop Mount John at the northern end of the ...
(Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...
,
Christchurch, New Zealand), where they continue to receive observing time. He is also a member of the Organizing Committee of
IAU Commission 6, which oversees the dissemination of information and the assignment of credit for astronomical discoveries. The Commission still bears the name "Astronomical Telegrams", even though telegrams are no longer used.
On 2007 August 30, Gilmore discovered his first
periodic comet,
P/2007 Q2.
The Eunomia asteroid
2537 Gilmore
2537 Gilmore, provisional designation , is a Eunomia asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 September 1951, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observato ...
was named in his honor,
while his wife is honored with the outer main-belt asteroid
3907 Kilmartin.
Gilmore talks on astronomy on the
Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and c ...
program ''
Nights' Science''.
In May 2019 he and his wife were honored by New Zealand post with a stamp in its ''New Zealand Space Pioneers'' series.
List of discovered minor planets
See also
*
Gary Hug
Gary Hug is an American amateur astronomer and a prolific discoverer of minor planets, who, along with Graham E. Bell, operates the Farpoint Observatory
Farpoint Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the ''Nor ...
*
Miguel Itzigsohn
Miguel Itzigsohn (1908–1978) was an Argentine astronomer and observer of comets, credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 15 asteroids between 1948 and 1954. The outer main-belt asteroid 1596 Itzigsohn, which he discovered ...
References
External links
Alan Gilmore UC SPARK - University of Canterbury
20th-century New Zealand astronomers
21st-century New Zealand astronomers
Discoverers of asteroids
Discoverers of comets
*
Living people
1944 births
{{astronomer-stub