Donald R. Davis (astronomer)

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Donald R. Davis is an American astronomer specializing in the evolution of the Solar System. [1] With William K. Hartmann, he was responsible for proposing a theory in 1975 of the creation of earth's moon by a catastrophic collision. [2] He is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the co-discovery of the trans-Neptunian object (49673) 1999 RA215 in 1999. [3] [4]

In 2009, he was Academic Director at the Summer Science Program. A few months later, Davis arranged for the naming of an asteroid as 223877 Kutler, after Brendan Kutler—a student, whom he had worked with in that program—died in his sleep. [5]

The main-belt asteroid 3638 Davis is named in his honor. [1] [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Dr. Donald R. Davis". Psi.edu. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "The Origin of the Moon". Psi.edu. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 49673 (1999 RA215)" (2013-10-06 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "49673 (1999 RA215)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  5. ↑ Haims, Eli (1 September 2010). "Summer Science Program". The Chronicle. Los Angeles: Harvard-Westlake School. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3638) Davis". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3638) Davis. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 306. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3636. ISBN   978-3-540-00238-3.


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