Carolyn Shoemaker

Carolyn Shoemaker at the 46 cm Schmidt telescope of the Palomar Observatory (1986)

Carolyn Jean Spellmann Shoemaker (born June 24, 1929 in Gallup , New Mexico , † August 13, 2021 ) was an American astronomer . Shoemaker was one of the discoverers of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 . She discovered 32 comets, making her the most successful “comet hunter”.

career path

Her career in astronomy began in 1980 when she and her husband, geologist, impact researcher and astronomer Eugene Shoemaker and David H. Levy searched for asteroids and comets at the Palomar Observatory . She used a stereoscope to examine films exposed with the 46 cm Schmidt telescope for objects moving against the background of fixed stars . It found its first comet in 1983. The search program was discontinued in 1997 after the death of Eugene Shoemaker.

By 2002, Carolyn Shoemaker was credited with discovering a total of 32 comets and more than 800 asteroids. She received honorary doctorates from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and from Saint Mary's University Halifax and in 1996 the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal from NASA .

In 1991 the asteroid (4446) Carolyn was named after her. In 1996 she was also admitted to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . She and her husband were also awarded the James Craig Watson Medal in 1998.

Carolyn Shoemaker died on August 13, 2021 at the age of 92.)

Web links

Commons : Carolyn Shoemaker  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• CV (English)
• Literature by and about Carolyn Shoemaker in the WorldCat bibliographic database
• obituary

Individual evidence

1. ↑ American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker's Death at 92. In: US day News. August 14, 2021, accessed August 17, 2021 (Canadian English). 
2. ↑ Jean-Baptiste FELDMANN: Carolyn Shoemaker a rejoint son mari dans les étoiles. In: CIELMANIA: le blog de Jean-Baptiste FELDMANN, photographe du ciel. August 15, 2021, accessed August 17, 2021 (fr-fr).