Frederick Pilcher (born 1939) is a retired physics professor and a prolific photometrist of minor planets at his private Organ Mesa Observatory (G50) in New Mexico, United States.[1][2]
Biography edit
A graduate of University of Kansas, Frederick Pilcher has been a long-time associate professor in the physics department at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, during 1962–2005.[3] Since 1968 he has been observing and writing about asteroids and was a charter member of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) when founded in 1973. Later on, he assumed the post of Section Recorder and Coordinator at ALPO.[4]
After his retirement he moved to New Mexico, United States, and established his Organ Mesa Observatory (G50) in 2007. The observatory is located approximately 5 miles southeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and is dedicated to photometric research on asteroids. At the observatory, he has since obtained more than 1100 rotational lightcurves.[1] Pilcher is a member of the Astronomical Society of Las Cruces, which is known for its research on small Solar System body, and its prolific members such as Clyde Tombaugh and Berton L. Stevens, who discovered more than 50 minor planets at his Desert Moon Observatory (448) in La Cruces.[5]
Honors edit
The main-belt asteroid 1990 Pilcher, discovered by Karl Reinmuth in 1954, was named in his honor.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 8 April 1982 (M.P.C. 6833).[6]
See also edit
- 2807 Karl Marx, naming controversy
References edit
- ^ a b "Minor Planet Lightcurve Data (data collected by ASLC member, Frederick Pilcher)". ASLC – Astronomical Society of Las Cruces. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1990) Pilcher". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1990) Pilcher. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 161. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1991. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ "1990 Pilcher (1956 EE)" (PDF). Illinois College (PDF). p. 203. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
FREDERICK PILCHER, Associate Professor of Physics (1962, 2005) B.S., Washburn, University; M.S., University of Kansas
- ^ "The Strolling Astronomer – (Minor Planets)" (PDF). ALPO – Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (PDF). 2001. p. 8. ISSN 0039-2502. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "About the ASLC". ASLC – Astronomical Society of Las Cruces. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
External links edit
- Pilcher and the Asteroid Karl Marx – Asteroids: A History, Curtis Peebles,
- Lightcurve plot of 8 Flora, by Frederick Pilcher
- Asteroid CCD Photometry and Analysis of Minor Planets, Astronomical Society of Las Cruces
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