James W. Christy
James Walter Christy (born September 15, 1938 in Milwaukee ) is an American astronomer .
In 1978, at the United States Naval Observatory , he discovered that the dwarf planet Pluto has a moon he named Charon . While evaluating photographic plates, Christy found that Pluto was "bulged". This indicated the existence of a moon.
In modern telescopes, such as the Hubble telescope or earth-based telescopes with adaptive optics , Pluto and Charon can be displayed separately.
In 2008 the asteroid (129564) Christy was named after him.
literature
- The timetables of science. A chronology of the most important people and events in the history of science. P. 582 ( excerpt )
Individual evidence
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Christy, James W. |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Christy, James Walter (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American astronomer |
DATE OF BIRTH | September 15, 1938 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Milwaukee |