is a Japanese amateur
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
, discoverer of
minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
s, and, by profession, a junior high school science teacher.
As a planetarian, a member of the professional staff of a
planetarium
A planetarium (: planetariums or planetaria) is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation.
A dominant feature of most planetariums is ...
, he has done much for the spread of astronomy in Japan through speaking on planetaria and the results of astronomical observation.
In 2001, while working as support staff at JK1ZAM, the club station of Iruma Children’s Center (an educational institution for children in Iruma City), he helped achieve the first ARISS school contact in Japan. Also, in 2003, as a coordinating teacher, he helped accomplish the first solo contact between a junior high school in Japan and the ISS, with the support of JK1ZAM. He regularly spoke on the astronomical talk program ''Sunset Café'' at the local radio station "FM CHAPPY 77.7" from December 2006 to November 2008. He held the position of vice-director on the board of the Saitama Planetarium Liaison Council (2007–2008). He supports ARISS (
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), which is a program that offers students an opportunity to experience the excitement of amateur radio by talking directly with crew members of the ISS (
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
).
The
Eos
In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Eos (; Ionic Greek, Ionic and Homeric Greek ''Ēṓs'', Attic Greek, Attic ''Héōs'', "dawn", or ; Aeolic Greek, Aeolic ''Aúōs'', Doric Greek, Doric ''Āṓs'') is the go ...
main-belt asteroid
6025 Naotosato, which Takeshi Urata discovered in 1992, was named after him.
Discoveries of minor planets
Since 1995, Satō has discovered a large number of
minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
s from his own Chichibu Astronomical Observatory at
Chichibu
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
Geography
Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unlik ...
,
including
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
s such as
7038 Tokorozawa,
7851 Azumino,
8581 Johnen,
8924 Iruma,
9418 Mayumi and
118230 Sado. He is ranked among the top 50
asteroid discoverers in the world (''The Astronomy Yearbook – 2008''). 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.
Funct ...
credits him with the discovery of 142 minor planets during 1995–1998, of which 18 were co-discoveries with astronomer
Takeshi Urata ''(also see table)''.
Naoto Satō is also known for the prediscovery of
C/1989 Y2, a
parabolic comet credited to McKenzie–
Russell.
List
See also
*
List of minor planet discoverers
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 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sato, Naoto
1953 births
Discoverers of asteroids
*
20th-century Japanese astronomers
Living people
Scientists from Saitama Prefecture