Robert D. Stephens

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Robert D. Stephens (born 1955) is an American amateur astronomer and a prolific photometrist of minor planets at the Center for Solar System Studies ( U81 ), Rancho Cucamonga in California, United States. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

By profession, Stephens is a Certified Public Accountant in California since 1978, and has co-founded the accounting firm Fox & Stephens Inc. in 1988. [3]

Member of the American Astronomical Society and former president of the Riverside Astronomical Society, [4] Stephens became active in studying minor planets in 1999. Since then, he has obtained and published hundreds of rotational ±light curves of asteroids from photometric observations taken at the CS3–Trojan Station of the Center for Solar System Studies ( U81 ), Landers, in the Southern California desert, [1] where he collaborates with astronomers Daniel Coley ( U80 ) and Brian D. Warner ( U82 ). He is president of the astronomical research institution MoreData! Inc., as well as treasurer of the Society for Astronomical Sciences and the American Association of Variable Star Observers. [5]

Awards and honors

See also

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1173 Anchises

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5027 Androgeos Asteroid in the orbit of Jupiter

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39890 Bobstephens, provisional designation 1998 FA3, is a stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. The asteroid was discovered on 23 March 1998, by Czech astronomer Petr Pravec at Ondřejov Observatory near Prague in the Czech Republic. It was named for American astronomer Robert Stephens.

4709 Ennomos

4709 Ennomos is a large Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp and the namesake of the small Ennomos family, approximately 81 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 October 1988, by American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California. The relatively bright and possibly elongated Jovian asteroid belongs to the 40 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 12.3 hours. It was named after Ennomus (Ennomos), a Trojan warrior killed by Achilles.

5130 Ilioneus

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3793 Leonteus is a large Jupiter trojan from the Greek camp, approximately 90 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 11 October 1985, by American astronomer couple Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. The D-type Jovian asteroid belongs to the 30 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 5.6 hours. It was named after the hero Leonteus from Greek mythology.

4836 Medon is a large Jupiter trojan from the Greek camp, approximately 68 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 2 February 1989, by American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California. The dark asteroid has a rotation period of 9.82 hours and belongs to the 60 largest Jupiter trojans. It was named after the mythological Greek warrior Medon.

4833 Meges is a large Jupiter trojan from the Greek camp, approximately 85 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 8 January 1989, by American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California. The D-type asteroid belongs to the 40 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 14.25 hours. It was named after Meges from Greek mythology.

4348 Poulydamas is a large Jupiter Trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 82 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 11 September 1988, by American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California. The assumed C-type asteroid belongs to the 40 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 9.9 hours. It was named after Poulydamas from Greek mythology.

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1747 Wright

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References

  1. 1 2 "Robert Stephens". Center for Solar System Studies (CS3). Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(39890) Bobstephens". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 894. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_10020. ISBN   978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. "Fox & Stephens – Meet Our Staff". www.foxandstephens.com. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  4. "Riverside Astronomical Society". www.rivastro.org. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  5. "Society for Astronomical Sciences". socastrosci.org. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  6. "Clifford W. Holmes Award". RTMC Astronomy Expo. Archived from the original on October 24, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  7. "The 2013 Shoemaker NEO Grant Recipients". The Planetary Society . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  8. "39890 Bobstephens (1998 FA3)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  9. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved February 4, 2020.