“Robert H. McNaught”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Robert H. McNaught (born in Scotland in 1956) is a Scottish-Australian astronomer at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Australian National University (ANU). He has collaborated with David J. Asher of the Armagh Observatory.

The inner main-belt asteroid 3173 McNaught, discovered by Edward Bowell at Anderson Mesa Station in 1981, was named after him by its discoverer, following a suggestion by David Seargent.

Work

McNaught is a prolific discoverer of asteroids and comets, described as "the world's greatest comet discoverer"^[1] and he participated in the Siding Spring Survey (SSS) using the ANU's Uppsala Southern Schmidt Telescope.^[2] He discovered the Great Comet C/2006 P1 on 7 August 2006, the brightest comet in several decades, which became easily visible to the naked eye for observers in the Southern Hemisphere.^[3] The SSS was the only active professional Near Earth Object survey in the Southern Hemisphere. The survey ended in 2013 after funding dried up.^[4]

McNaught previously worked on the Anglo-Australian Near-Earth Asteroid Survey from 1990–1996.^[5]

Other work

McNaught worked at the University of Aston's satellite-tracking camera originally outside Evesham in 1982, thereafter at Herstmonceux and more recently at Siding Spring. In his spare time he successfully conducts patrols for novae,

identifies images of prenovae and unusual variable stars on survey plates, measures their positions, makes astrometric observations of comets and minor planets and photometric observations of comets and novae. He also carries out extensive observational and computational work on meteors, as well as on occultations by minor planets.

Funding issues

On 11 July 2012 it was announced that McNaught's funding from NASA was to be cut and he would be temporarily funded from the ANU. In late 2012, the ANU advised that it could no longer support the program and that funds would not be available from January 2013.^[6]

Discoveries

List of cometary discoveries

Long-period

Short period

Co-discoveries

Groups

List of discovered minor planets

As of 2016, Robert McNaught is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery and co-discovery of 483 minor planets during 1975–2005.^[1]

See also

References

1. ^{{cite book|last1=Mobberley|first1=Martin|title=Hunting and imaging comets|date=2011|publisher=Springer|location=New York|isbn=9781441969057|page=75|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qU95h4yKia4C&pg=PA103#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=20 July 2014}}
2. ^{{cite news | url=http://info.anu.edu.au/mac/Media/Media_Releases/_2004/_060404NEA.asp | title=Earth-threatening space rocks hunted by ANU | work=Media releases | publisher=Australian National University | date= 6 April 2004 | accessdate=21 January 2007}}
3. ^{{cite web|last=Kronk|first=Gary|title=C/2007 P1 (McNaught)|url=http://cometography.com/lcomets/2006p1.html|work=Cometography|accessdate=24 April 2013}}
4. ^{{cite news|last1=Safi|first1=Michael |title=Earth at risk after cuts close comet-spotting program, scientists warn |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/20/funding-cuts-leave-earth-with-blind-spot-for-potentially-catastrophic-comets |accessdate=25 November 2015 |work=The Guardian |date=20 October 2014}}
5. ^{{cite web |title=AANEAS |url=http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~rmn/aaneas.htm |publisher=Mt Stromlo Observatory |accessdate=27 November 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229042717/http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~rmn/aaneas.htm |archivedate=29 February 2016 |df=dmy-all }}
6. ^{{cite news|last=Vlahos|first=Perry|title=Who's on night watch?|url=http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/whos-on-night-watch-20121219-2blqq.html|accessdate=24 April 2013|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=20 December 2012}}
7. ^¹²{{cite web |title = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number) |work = Minor Planet Center |url = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html |date = 22 August 2016 |accessdate = 24 August 2016}}