Donald C. Parker
Encyclopedia
Donald C. Parker, also known as Don Parker, is an American
retired physician
and amateur astronomer
, specializing in the research of the Solar System
and planet
ary photography
. Many of his over 20,000 images of Mars were used also by professional astronomers
at NASA
, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
and some observatories and published in numerous books and journals, including Science
and Nature
. In 2000 he co-authored the book Introduction to Observing and Photographing the Solar System. He is a past director of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
.
In 1994 the Mars-crosser asteroid
5392 Parker
was named in his honour. One year later his planetary images were acknowledged with the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
. In 2004 he received the Gold Medal of the Oriental Astronomical Association for his work on Mars.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
retired physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
, specializing in the research of the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
and planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
ary photography
Astrophotography
Astrophotography is a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky. The first photographs of an astronomical object were taken in the 1840s, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for...
. Many of his over 20,000 images of Mars were used also by professional astronomers
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
and some observatories and published in numerous books and journals, including Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
and Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
. In 2000 he co-authored the book Introduction to Observing and Photographing the Solar System. He is a past director of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers is an international scientific and educational organization established in March, 1947 in the United States by Walter H. Haas, and later incorporated in 1990...
.
In 1994 the Mars-crosser asteroid
Mars-crosser asteroid
A Mars-crosser is an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars. The known numbered Mars-crossers are listed here. They include the two numbered Mars trojans 5261 Eureka and ....
5392 Parker
5392 Parker
5392 Parker is a Mars-crossing asteroid discovered on January 12, 1986 by C. S. Shoemaker at Palomar.- External links :*...
was named in his honour. One year later his planetary images were acknowledged with the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is a scientific and educational organization, founded in San Francisco on February 7, 1889. Its name derives from its origins on the Pacific Coast, but today it has members all over the country and the world...
. In 2004 he received the Gold Medal of the Oriental Astronomical Association for his work on Mars.
External links
- Donald C. Parker: How to Process Planetary Images: an article in Sky and Telescope