David L. Rabinowitz
David Lincoln Rabinowitz working at the NEAT-Project
Born1960 (age 63–64)
Alma materYale University
University of Chicago
Known forCo-discoverer of the new population of dwarf planets in the outer solar system
Scientific career
FieldsAstrophysics
InstitutionsYale University's Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics
University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Thesis (1988)
Websitephysics.yale.edu/people/david-rabinowitz

David Lincoln Rabinowitz (born 1960) is an American astronomer, discoverer of minor planets and researcher at Yale University.

Career

David Rabinowitz has built CCD cameras and software for the detection of near-Earth and Kuiper belt objects,[1] and his research has helped reduce the assumed number of near-Earth asteroids larger than 1 km by half, from 1,000–2,000 to 500–1,000.[2] He has also assisted in the detection of distant solar system objects, supernovae, and quasars, thereby helping to understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the dark energy driving the accelerated expansion of the universe.

Collaborating with Michael Brown and Chad Trujillo of the Quasar Equatorial Survey Team, he has participated in the discovery of several possible dwarf planets such as 90377 Sedna (possibly the first known inner Oort cloud object), 90482 Orcus,[3] Eris (more massive than Pluto[4]), Haumea,[5] and Makemake,[6] though no-one would get credit for Haumea.

Together with Tom Gehrels of the University of Arizona and his Spacewatch team, Rabinowitz discovered or co-discovered other astronomical objects including 5145 Pholus[7] – a Centaur, credited by the MPC to Spacewatch[8]– and the unnumbered Apollo near-Earth object 1991 BA, which remains uncredited.[9]

Awards and honors

The minor planet 5040 Rabinowitz, a Phocaea asteroid discovered by Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory in 1972, was named in his honor and for his work at Spacewatch.[10]

List of discovered minor planets

See also: Category:Discoveries by David L. Rabinowitz

David Rabinowitz is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery and co-discovery of 34 minor planets during 1989–2010.[11]

90377 Sedna 14 November 2003 list [A][B]
90482 Orcus February 17, 2004 list [A][B]
(120178) 2003 OP32 July 26, 2003 list [A][B]
(120348) 2004 TY364 October 3, 2004 list [A][B]
136199 Eris October 21, 2003 list [A][B]
136472 Makemake March 31, 2005 list [A][B]
(175113) 2004 PF115 August 7, 2004 list [A][B]
(187661) 2007 JG43 May 10, 2007 list [C][A]
225088 Gonggong July 17, 2007 list [C][A]
229762 Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà July 17, 2007 list [A][C]
(305543) 2008 QY40 August 25, 2008 list [C][A]
(312645) 2010 EP65 March 9, 2010 list [D]
(316179) 2010 EN65 March 7, 2010 list [D]
(349933) 2009 YF7 December 19, 2009 list
(353222) 2009 YD7 December 16, 2009 list
(382004) 2010 RM64 September 9, 2010 list [C][D]
(386723) 2009 YE7 December 17, 2009 list
(445473) 2010 VZ98 November 11, 2010 list [C][D]
(471136) 2010 EO65 March 9, 2010 list [D]
(471137) 2010 ET65 March 13, 2010 list [D]
(471149) 2010 FB49 March 17, 2010 list [D]
(471150) 2010 FC49 March 18, 2010 list [D]
(471151) 2010 FD49 March 19, 2010 list [D]
(471152) 2010 FE49 March 19, 2010 list [D]
(471155) 2010 GF65 April 14, 2010 list [D]
(471172) 2010 JC80 May 12, 2010 list [D]
(471196) 2010 PK66 August 14, 2010 list [C][D]
(471210) 2010 VW11 November 3, 2010 list [C][D]
(496816) 1989 UP October 27, 1989 list [E]
(499522) 2010 PL66 August 14, 2010 list [C][D]
(504555) 2008 SO266 September 24, 2008 list [C][A]
(523618) 2007 RT15 September 11, 2007 list [C][A]
(523629) 2008 SP266 September 26, 2008 list [C][A]
(528381) 2008 ST291 September 24, 2008 list [C][A]
Co-discovery made with:
A M. E. Brown
B C. Trujillo
C M. E. Schwamb
D S. Tourtellotte
E J. V. Scotti

1992AD is with a comet-like orbit of 92.26 years without a tail, which orbits between Saturn and Neptune. It was discovered by Rabinowitz in 1992 and was officially named Pholus. Another body that he discovered in 1993 was named Nessus with an orbit of 123.2 years. This one orbits between Saturn and Pluto.[12]

References

  1. ^ "David Rabinowitz overview". Archived from the original on November 6, 2005.
  2. ^ Jane Platt (January 12, 2000). "Asteroid population count slashed". NASA. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  3. ^ David Whitehouse (March 3, 2004). "New world found far beyond Pluto". BBC News - Science/Nature. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  4. ^ Brown, Michael E.; Schaller, Emily L. (June 2007). "The Mass of Dwarf Planet Eris". Science. 316 (5831): 1585. Bibcode:2007Sci...316.1585B. doi:10.1126/science.1139415. PMID 17569855. S2CID 21468196.
  5. ^ Brown, M. E.; Bouchez, A. H.; Rabinowitz, D.; Sari, R.; Trujillo, C. A.; van Dam, M.; et al. (October 2005). "Keck Observatory Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Discovery and Characterization of a Satellite to the Large Kuiper Belt Object 2003 EL61" (PDF). The Astrophysical Journal. 632 (1): L45–L48. Bibcode:2005ApJ...632L..45B. doi:10.1086/497641. S2CID 119408563. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  6. ^ Mike Baldwin. "Eris: dwarf planet larger than Pluto". memphisgeology. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  7. ^ "Pholus (minor planet 5145)". David Darling. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  8. ^ "5145 Pholus (1992 AD)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  9. ^ "1991 BA". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  10. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(5040) Rabinowitz". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 434. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4907. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  11. ^ "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  12. ^ Life After Grief: An Astrological Guide to Dealing with Loss, by Darrelyn Gunzburg, 2004
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