is a Japanese dentist, amateur

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

and a

discoverer of minor planets This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 numb ...

. According to 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 ...

, he is credited with the discovery of 148 asteroids between 1991 and 1997, 15 of which were co-discoveries with

Osamu Muramatsu is a Japanese astronomer and discoverer of asteroids and comets. He is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 73 minor planets. He also co-discovered 147P/Kushida-Muramatsu, a periodic comet. Muramatsu works at the planeta ...

. As of 2016, he ranks 81st place just behind

Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova Tamara Mikhaylovna Smirnova (russian: Тама́ра Миха́йловна Смирно́ва; 1935–2001) was a Soviet Union, Soviet/Russian astronomer and a discoverer of minor planets and comets. Career From 1966 to 1988, Smirnova was a sta ...

in the MPC's asteroid discovery listings.

List of discovered minor planets

References

External links

Minor Planet Discoverers (Alphabetically)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otomo, Satoru 1957 births Discoverers of asteroids * People from Mitaka, Tokyo 20th-century Japanese astronomers Living people Japanese dentists