David H. Levy

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David Levy giving a lecture at JPL.
David Levy giving a lecture at JPL.
Asteroids discovered: 41
5261 Eureka[1] June 20, 1990
5852 Nanette[2] April 19, 1991
6398 Timhunter[2][3] February 10, 1991
6401 Roentgen[2][3] April 15, 1991
6485 Wendeesther[2][3] October 25, 1990
6670 Wallach[2] June 4, 1994
6715 Sheldonmarks[1] August 22, 1990
6914 Becquerel[1][2] April 3, 1992
7344 Summerfield[2] June 4, 1992
8021 Walter[2] October 22, 1990
8358 Rickblakley[2] November 4, 1989
9070 Ensab[2] July 23, 1993
9083 Ramboehm[2] November 28, 1994
10332 Defi[2] May 13, 1991
10346 Triathlon[2] April 2, 1992
11548 Jerrylewis[2] November 25, 1992
11569 Virgilsmith[2] May 27, 1993
11911 Angel[2] June 4, 1992
11941 Archinal[2] May 23, 1993
13057 Jorgensen[2] November 13, 1990
13111 Papacosmas[2] July 23, 1993
13123 Tyson[2] May 16, 1994
13615 Manulis[2] November 28, 1994
14429 Coyne[2] December 3, 1991
15276 Diebel[2] April 14, 1991
15294 Underwood[2] November 7, 1991
15321 Donnadean[2] August 13, 1993
15779 Scottroberts[2] July 26, 1993
16514 Stevelia[2] November 11, 1990
16669 Rionuevo[2] December 8, 1993
17493 Wildcat[2] December 31, 1991
18368 Flandrau[2] April 15, 1991
18434 Mikesandras[2] March 12, 1994
19980 Barrysimon[2] November 22, 1989
22312 Kelly[2] April 14, 1991
22338 Janemojo[2] June 3, 1992
24778 Nemsu[2] May 24, 1993
24779 Presque Isle[2] July 23, 1993
27776 Cortland[2] February 25, 1992
27810 Daveturner[2] July 23, 1993
29292 Conniewalker[2] May 24, 1993
  1.   with Henry E. Holt
  2.   with Carolyn S. Shoemaker
  3.   with Eugene M. Shoemaker

David H. Levy (born 1948) is a Canadian astronomer and science writer most famous for his co-discovery in 1993 of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with the planet Jupiter in 1994.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Levy was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on May 22, 1948. He developed an interest of astronomy at an early age in his life. However, he pursued and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature.[1]

Levy has discovered 22 comets, either independently or with Gene and Carolyn S. Shoemaker. He has written over 30 books, mostly on astronomical subjects such as The Quest for Comets and his tribute to Shoemaker in Shoemaker by Levy.[2] Also, he has provided periodic articles for the magazines Sky and Telescope and Parade Magazine.[3]

Periodic comets that Levy co-discovered include P/2006T1, 118P/Shoemaker-Levy, 129P/Shoemaker-Levy, 135P/Shoemaker-Levy, 137P/Shoemaker-Levy, 138P/Shoemaker-Levy, 145P/Shoemaker-Levy, and 181P/Shoemaker-Levy.

He now lives in Vail, Arizona and is married to Wendee Levy.[4] Levy and his wife host a weekly radio talk show on the internet on astronomy.[5]

[edit] Awards

The asteroid 3673 Levy was named in his honour. Levy was awarded the C.A. Chant Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 1980. In 1993 he won the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

In 2007, Levy received the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Edgar Wilson Award for the discovery of comets.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Richard D. Lines & Helen Lines
Amateur Achievement Award of Astronomical Society of the Pacific
1993
Succeeded by
Walter H. Haas