Brian A. Skiff is an American
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
noted for discovering numerous
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
s and a number of
comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...
s including the periodic comets
114P/Wiseman–Skiff (with
Jennifer Wiseman) and
140P/Bowell–Skiff (with
Edward Bowell
Edward L. G. "Ted" Bowell (born 1943 in London, died August 21 2023 in Flagstaff, Arizona), was an American astronomer. Bowell was educated at Emanuel School London, University College, London, and the University of Paris.
He was principal invest ...
).
Biography
Skiff received his BS from
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory.
It is one of the three universities gove ...
in 1977 and has worked as an astronomer at
Lowell Observatory
Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...
since 1976.
Between 1980 and 1997, he has also discovered a total 60 numbered
minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
s,
including , a dark
Jupiter trojan
The Jupiter trojans, commonly called trojan asteroids or simply trojans, are a large group of asteroids that share the planet Jupiter's orbit around the Sun. Relative to Jupiter, each Trojan (celestial body), trojan Libration point orbit, librat ...
about 37 kilometers in diameter.
Working on the
LONEOS
Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search (LONEOS) was a project designed to discover asteroids and comets that orbit near the Earth. The project, funded by NASA, was directed by astronomer Ted Bowell of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz ...
project he rediscovered the long
lost asteroid
Lost or LOST may refer to getting lost, or to:
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* ''Lost'' (TV series), a 2004 American drama series about people who become stranded on a mysterious island
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69230 Hermes in October 2003 and the
Apohele asteroid
Atira asteroids or Apohele asteroids, also known as interior-Earth objects (IEOs), are Near-Earth objects whose orbits are entirely confined within Earth's orbit; that is, their orbit has an aphelion (farthest point from the Sun) smaller than Ear ...
in May 2004.
Awards and honors
The Florian main-belt asteroid
2554 Skiff was named in his honour.
The official naming citation was published by the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Funct ...
on 8 April 1982 ().
Skiff received the
Texas Star Party’s Lone Star Gazer Award in 1986.
List of discovered minor planets
Brian Skiff is credited with the discovery and co-discovery of 60 minor planets between 1981 and 1997. The co-discovery of
2557 Putnam,
3256 Daguerre,
3807 Pagels and
4193 Salanave he made in collaboration with
Norman G. Thomas .
See also
*
Works
Skiff has published 122 refereed papers on astronomy.
His most cited paper is:
*
He is also the author of two books:
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skiff, Brian A.
American astronomers
Discoverers of asteroids
*
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)