Paul Wiegert

Last updated
Minor planets discovered: 85 [1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

Paul Arnold Wiegert (born 1967) is a Canadian astronomer, discoverer of minor planets and professor at the University of Western Ontario. [2]

Contents

Wiegert studies unusual orbits of both observed objects and theorised classes of objects, for example, one early paper [3] considers not-known-to-exist planets orbiting the nearby Alpha Centauri star system, while later papers extend that case to more general planetary stability in general binary systems (as exoplanet studies are finding increasingly frequently). This work in particular should be of interest to science fiction authors inventing universes.

Other areas of work include identifying the orbits of minor planets in the Solar System, which by virtue of their potential instability could realistically become major threats to civilization when one impacts on Earth again, as they have in the past. The Minor Planet Center credits him with the discovery of 80 numbered minor planets between 2003 and 2008. [1] Wiegert was also involved in the discovery of 3753 Cruithne, Earth's first known Trojan asteroid. [2] [4]

He was also the a member of the team that identified 524522 Zoozve, as a quasi-satellite of Venus, in 2004, two years after the actual discovery of the object. [5] [6]

The outer main-belt asteroid 15068 Wiegert was named in his honor. [2]

List of discovered minor planets

172996 Stooke 25 May 2006 list
199763 Davidgregory 1 May 2006 list
204786 Wehlau 25 May 2006 list
(229280) 2005 BN4716 January 2005 list
233472 Moorcroft 25 May 2006 list
236616 Gray 1 May 2006 list
254422 Henrykent 9 November 2004 list [A]
261930 Moorhead 25 May 2006 list
262536 Nowikow 26 October 2006 list [A]
263251 Pandabear 6 January 2008 list [A]
273230 de Bruyn 1 May 2006 list
273262 Cottam 25 May 2006 list
277883 Basu 1 May 2006 list
(281067) 2006 KU13025 May 2006 list
(282630) 2005 RL503 September 2005 list
(290156) 2005 QL18327 August 2005 list
(290181) 2005 RZ503 September 2005 list
(291824) 2006 KH13325 May 2006 list
(292856) 2006 UE34126 October 2006 list
(298762) 2004 HT7726 April 2004 list
(299518) 2006 CX632 February 2006 list
(299631) 2006 JP681 May 2006 list
304122 Ameliawehlau1 May 2006 list
(304557) 2006 UL35226 October 2006 list
(305344) 2008 AB1226 January 2008 list
(306257) 2011 RF325 May 2006 list
(307681) 2003 SA42525 September 2003 list
(308753) 2006 JD791 May 2006 list
(309426) 2007 TX41225 May 2006 list
(311604) 2006 KD13725 May 2006 list
(312676) 2010 MF3619 January 2007 list
(315529) 2008 AN1206 January 2008 list
(317843) 2003 SH42425 September 2003 list
(317844) 2003 SU42625 September 2003 list
(319358) 2006 CE642 February 2006 list
(319455) 2006 KB14225 May 2006 list
(322569) 2011 YQ6514 September 2007 list
(324208) 2006 AS1037 January 2006 list
(324327) 2006 JB721 May 2006 list
(327559) 2006 CS632 February 2006 list
(331824) 2003 SU42425 September 2003 list
(335013) 2004 HW7626 April 2004 list
(339395) 2005 BA4816 January 2005 list
(340538) 2006 JJ731 May 2006 list
(344700) 2003 SV42325 September 2003 list
(344918) 2004 RY34712 September 2004 list
(345702) 2006 UL35727 October 2006 list
(349018) 2006 UD35226 October 2006 list
(350205) 2012 QE225 May 2006 list
(351475) 2005 PH2710 August 2005 list
(353730) 2011 WN11424 November 2005 list
(355145) 2006 UZ34326 October 2006 list
(358712) 2008 AO1216 January 2008 list
(360106) 2013 CM1325 May 2006 list
(362643) 2011 SZ18525 May 2006 list
(362683) 2011 UD931 May 2006 list
(363834) 2005 PH255 August 2005 list
(364179) 2006 KU13825 May 2006 list
(365879) 2011 UC31825 May 2006 list
(371548) 2006 UY34926 October 2006 list
(376299) 2011 FC13815 December 2004 list
(376303) 2011 FK14814 September 2007 list
(376674) 2013 QD2916 January 2005 list
(377395) 2004 RW34912 September 2004 list
(377959) 2006 JK611 May 2006 list
(387984) 2005 ON2931 July 2005 list
(391240) 2006 KP13425 May 2006 list
(393652) 2004 PN11612 August 2004 list
(394654) 2008 AS1206 January 2008 list
(400015) 2006 KH12625 May 2006 list
(402361) 2005 VV1341 November 2005 list
(405285) 2003 SV42425 September 2003 list
(405915) 2006 JP701 May 2006 list
(416605) 2004 PV11612 August 2004 list
(422054) 2014 QE36616 January 2005 list
important;
(434357) 2004 RC35012 September 2004 list
(434709) 2006 CJ693 February 2006 list [A]
(438334) 2006 KD13925 May 2006 list
(441316) 2008 AV1256 January 2008 list
(444474) 2006 KL14225 May 2006 list
(470002) 2006 KW13725 May 2006 list
(476348) 2008 AT1236 January 2008 list
(489211) 2006 JH741 May 2006 list
(493446) 2014 WJ36125 May 2006 list
(497593) 2006 JU691 May 2006 list
Co-discovery made with:
A A. Papadimos

References

  1. 1 2 "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(15068) Wiegert [3.99, 0.22, 1.7]". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (15068) Wiegert, Addendum to Fifth Edition: 2003–2005. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 90–91. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34361-5_923. ISBN   978-3-540-34361-5.
  3. ↑ Wiegert, Paul A.; Holman, Matt J. (April 1997). "The Stability of Planets in the Alpha Centauri System". Astronomical Journal. 113: 1445–1450. arXiv: astro-ph/9609106 . Bibcode:1997AJ....113.1445W. doi:10.1086/118360. S2CID   18969130 . Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  4. ↑ Connors, M. G.; Wiegert, P.; Veillet, C. (December 2011). "Discovery of an Earth Trojan Asteroid". American Geophysical Union. 23: P23C–1727. Bibcode:2011AGUFM.P23C1727C . Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Discovery of the first quasi-satellite of Venus". Tuorla Observatory . 17 August 2004. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Mikkola, S.; Brasser, R.; Wiegert, P.; Innanen, K. (2004). "Asteroid 2002 VE68, a quasi-satellite of Venus". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 351 (3): L63 –L65. Bibcode:2004MNRAS.351L..63M. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07994.x .
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