Gordon J. Garradd

Gordon John Garradd (born 1959) is an Australian amateur astronomer and photographer from Loomberah, New South Wales. He has discovered numerous asteroids and comets, including the hyperbolic comet C/2009 P1,[2] and four novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The asteroid and Mars-crosser, 5066 Garradd, was named in his honour.[3][4]

Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd[2]

Minor planets discovered: 31 [1]
(6027) 1993 SS223 September 1993MPC
(6874) 1994 JO19 May 1994MPC
(8201) 1994 AH25 January 1994MPC
(10150) 1994 PN7 August 1994MPC
(10180) 1996 EE215 March 1996MPC
(10578) 1995 LH5 June 1995MPC
(10824) 1993 SW324 September 1993MPC
(14916) 1993 VV710 November 1993MPC
(14921) 1994 QA16 August 1994MPC
(23621) 1996 PA5 August 1996MPC
(24814) 1994 VW110 November 1994MPC
(26895) 1995 MC23 June 1995MPC
(30956) 1994 QP27 August 1994MPC
(37651) 1994 GX3 April 1994MPC
(55820) 1995 FW25 March 1995MPC
(55843) 1996 PD19 August 1996MPC
61342 Lovejoy3 August 2000MPC
(65757) 1994 FV21 March 1994MPC
(69350) 1993 YP17 December 1993MPC
(69357) 1994 FU21 March 1994MPC
(96298) 1996 RE269 September 1996MPC
(100210) 1994 LD115 June 1994MPC
(100211) 1994 PF17 August 1994MPC
(100244) 1994 QB16 August 1994MPC
(102530) 1999 UF430 October 1999MPC
(123302) 2000 UW11219 October 2000MPC
(162037) 1996 BW326 January 1996MPC
(178680) 2000 RB92 September 2000MPC
(228215) 1996 DD226 February 1996MPC
(412983) 1996 FO324 March 1996MPC

He has worked for a number of astronomical institutions in the US and Australia, most recently at Siding Spring Observatory on the Siding Spring Survey, part of the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey for near-Earth objects (2002–2011). As of 2016, the Minor Planet Center credits him with the discovery of 31 minor planets (see table).[1] There are 16 comets and an asteroid that bear his name.[5] His cometary discoveries include 186P/Garradd (comet Garradd 1), a Jupiter-family comet,[6] and 259P/Garradd (comet Garradd 4), an Encke-type comet.[7]

Garradd was born in Australia and lived his early life in Sydney, Canberra, Oberon, and Tamworth. Astronomy has been an interest since his childhood, and he has built many telescopes himself, starting with a 20 cm (8") f/7 Newtonian while still in high school, graduating to making mirrors up to 46 cm (18″) diameter and mounts up to the fork mount for the 46 cm f/5.4 Newtonian, and German equatorial mounted 25 cm (10") f/4.1 that he used for observing near-Earth asteroids and comets.[8]

His initial profession was as an accountant, but he left that in 1984 to pursue astronomy and photography full-time.[9] He lives with his wife Hether, off the power grid, using solar and wind power. He is a photographer, mountain bike rider, and solar- and wind-power enthusiast.[8]

References
  1. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  2. In the Sky This Month – July 2009 transientsky.wordpress.com, July 2009.
  3. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(5066) Garradd". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (5066) Garradd. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 436. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4929. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  4. Liller, William (1992). The Cambridge guide to astronomical discovery. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780521418393. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  5. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  6. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 186P/Garradd". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  7. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 259P/Garradd". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  8. Bauman, Joe (23 August 2011). "Meet Comet Discoverer Gordon Garradd". Nightly News: Astronomy. Deseret News. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. Haynes, Raymond, ed. (2000). Explorers of the southern sky: a history of Australian astronomy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 129. ISBN 9780521365758.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.