Robert H. McNaught

Robert H. McNaught (born in Scotland in 1956) is a Scottish-Australian astronomer at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Australian National University. He has collaborated with David J. Asher of the Armagh Observatory.

He is a prolific discoverer of asteroids, and participates in the Siding Spring Survey. He is also a co-discoverer of periodic comet 130P/McNaught-Hughes and, using the Uppsala Schmidt telescope, discovered comet C/2006 P1 on 7 August 2006, which became the brightest comet in several decades [1]. It made perihelion on 12 January 2007, and became easily visible to the naked eye for observers in the Southern Hemisphere.

McNaught has discovered thirty-four long-period comets:

• C/1987 U3 (a. k. a. 1987 XXXII, 1987b₁)
• C/2005 E2
• C/2005 L2
• C/2005 L3
• C/2005 S4
• C/2006 B1
• C/2006 E1
• C/2006 K1
• C/2006 K3
• C/2006 L2
• C/2006 P1 (Great Comet of 2007)
• C/2006 Q1
• C/2007 K6
• C/2007 M1
• C/2007 P1
• C/2007 T1
• C/2007 Y2
• C/2008 A1
• C/2008 J4
• C/2009 F2
• C/2009 F4
• C/2009 F5
• C/2009 K5
• C/2009 R1
• C/2009 T1
• C/2010 J2
• C/2011 C1
• C/2011 G1
• C/2011 L2
• C/2011 L3
• C/2011 N2
• C/2011 Q2
• C/2011 Q3
• C/2011 R1

McNaught has also discovered twenty-one short-period comets:

• 191P/McNaught
• 220P/McNaught
• P/2004 R1 (McNaught)
• P/2005 J1 (McNaught)
• P/2005 K3 (McNaught)
• P/2005 L1 (McNaught)
• P/2005 Y2 (McNaught)
• P/2006 G1 (McNaught)
• P/2006 H1 (McNaught)
• P/2006 K2 (McNaught)
• P/2007 H1 (McNaught)
• P/2008 J3 (McNaught)
• P/2008 O2 (McNaught)
• P/2008 Y3 (McNaught)
• P/2009 Q5 (McNaught)
• P/2009 S2 (McNaught)
• P/2009 U4 (McNaught)
• P/2010 J5 (McNaught)
• P/2010 T1 (McNaught)
• P/2011 L1 (McNaught)
• P/2011 P1 (McNaught)

Finally, he is co-discoverer of the following other comets:

• P/Catalina-McNaught (a.k.a. P/2008 S1, 2008 JK)
• P/McNaught-Hartley (a.k.a. P/1994 N2, 1994 XXXI, 1994n)
• Comet McNaught-Hartley (a.k.a. C/1999 T1)
• Comets McNaught-Hughes:
  • C/1990 M1 (a.k.a. 1991 III, 1990g)
  • 130P/McNaught-Hughes (a.k.a. 1991 IX, 1991y)
• Comets McNaught-Russell:
  • C/1991 C3 (a.k.a. 1990 XIX, 1991g)
  • C/1991 Q1 (a.k.a. 1992 XI, 1991v)
  • C/1991 R1 (a.k.a. 1990 XXII, 1991w)
  • C/1993 Y1 (a.k.a. 1994 XI, 1993v)
  • P/1994 X1 (a.k.a. 1994 XXIV, 1994u)
• Comet McNaught-Tritton (a.k.a. C/1978 G2, 1978 XXVII)
• Comet McNaught-Watson (a.k.a. C/1999 S2)

Total number of McNaught's comet discoveries is 67.

The asteroid 3173 McNaught was named in his honour. McNaught has been in charge of the University of Aston's satellite-tracking camera at Herstmonceux and more recently at Siding Spring. In his spare time he successfully conducts patrols for novae, identifies images of prenovae and unusual variable stars on survey plates, measures their positions, makes astrometric observations of comets and minor planets and photometric observations of comets and novae. He also carries out extensive observational and computational work on meteors, as well as on occultations by minor planets. The asteroid 3173 McNaught was named after McNaught by its discoverer, following a suggestion by David A. J. Seargent.

References

• "Earth-threatening space rocks hunted by ANU". Media releases (Australian National University). 6 April 2004. http://info.anu.edu.au/mac/Media/Media_Releases/_2004/_060404NEA.asp. Retrieved 21 January 2007. 
• McNaught, Robert (2007). "C/2006 P1 (McNaught's own page)". Siding Springs Observatory. Australian National University. http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~rmn/C2006P1.htm. Retrieved 21 January 2007.