Walter R. Cooney Jr. is an American

chemical engineer In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is a professional, equipped with the knowledge of chemical engineering, who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and deals with the ...

, amateur

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either o ...

and discoverer of

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 '' ...

s and

variable star A variable star is a star whose brightness as seen from Earth (its apparent magnitude) changes with time. This variation may be caused by a change in emitted light or by something partly blocking the light, so variable stars are classified as e ...

s. Cooney, who is affiliated with the

Highland Road Park Observatory Highland Road Park Observatory or Baton Rouge Observatory is an astronomical observatory jointly operated by Louisiana State University's astronomy department, Baton Rouge Astronomical Society, and The Recreation & Park Commission for the Parish ...

, is credited 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. Function ...

with the discovered of 47 numbered minor planets during 1998–2005, such as his lowest numbered identification 11739 Baton Rouge, a Hildian asteroid named after the city of Baton Rouge where the discovering observatory is located. Many of his minor planet discoveries he made in collaboration with astronomers

Matthew Collier Matthew Samuel Collier is a veteran, business executive, entrepreneur, and speaker. At 29, he was elected as the youngest big-city "strong" mayor in the United States when he served as the chief executive of his hometown of Flint, Michigan, from ...

Patrick M. Motl This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 numb ...

Susannah Lazar Susannah Lazar is an American medical physicist, amateur astronomer and a discoverer of minor planets. She is affiliated with the Highland Road Park Observatory, where she co-discovered asteroid 20430 Stout with Walter R. Cooney, Jr. at age 16, ...

Katrina Wefel This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth object, near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and Distant minor planet, distant obj ...

, Terry Martin,

Merrill Hess This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 numb ...

Ethan Kandler This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 numb ...

Meredith Howard This is a list of minor-planet discoverers credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of one or several minor planets (such as near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, Jupiter trojans and distant objects). , the discovery of 612,011 numb ...

, and most recently with

John Gross John Gross FRSL (12 March 1935 – 10 January 2011) was an eminent English man of letters. A leading intellectual, writer, anthologist, and critic, ''The Guardian'' (in a tribute titled "My Hero") and ''The Spectator'' were among several pub ...

. Cooney is also credited with discovering more than 50 variable stars.

List of discovered minor planets

References

20th-century American astronomers 21st-century American astronomers Discoverers of asteroids * Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-astronomer-stub