James V. Scotti
Encyclopedia
James Vernon Scotti is an American
astronomer
. He was born in Bandon, Oregon
and graduated from Woodway Senior High in Edmonds, Washington
in 1978. He received his B.Sc. in Astronomy
from the University of Arizona
in Tucson
in 1983. Ever since that time, he has worked on the Spacewatch
project, which is one of a number of projects that look for near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). He wrote the first automatic asteroid
detection software for the project in 1984.
impact in 2028; further observations led to a more accurate orbit, which disproved the impact.
He has also recovered more than 75 comet
s starting in 1985 (since comets are subject to non-gravitational forces due to outgassing and solar wind, it is often a challenge to predict their exact position and rediscover them each time they make a new perihelion approach). He confirmed the discovery of the well known Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
, which impacted Jupiter
in July 1994. He has also discovered the periodic comets 202P/Scotti, 244P/Scotti, P/2003 L1 (Scotti), P/2010 C1 (Scotti), P/2010 H4 (Scotti), P/2010 H5 (Scotti), P/2011 A2 (Scotti), the later seven are not yet numbered as they have only been seen at one perihelion passage. He has also discovered non-periodic comets C/2010 E5 (Scotti) and C/2010 F3 (Scotti).
Scotti's research interests include the origin of comets, the dynamical evolution of comets and asteroids, the Near-Earth Asteroids, and the outer solar system.
Scotti is also an avid space enthusiast and is interested in the history of space exploration and particularly of the Apollo Program. He has contributed to the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, which details the Apollo lunar explorations. He is also a space artist and photographer.
The asteroid 3594 Scotti
is named for him.
In 1991, he discovered 1991 VG
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
. He was born in Bandon, Oregon
Bandon, Oregon
- Economy :Like many communities on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries, which were greatly diminished by the 1980s, though some remnants still exist. Bandon's current economy revolves around wood products, fishing, tourism, and agriculture...
and graduated from Woodway Senior High in Edmonds, Washington
Edmonds, Washington
Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Edmonds has a view of Puget Sound and both the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range. The third most populous city in Snohomish County after Everett and Marysville, the population was 39,709 according to the 2010 census...
in 1978. He received his B.Sc. in Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
in 1983. Ever since that time, he has worked on the Spacewatch
Spacewatch
Spacewatch is a project at the University of Arizona led by Robert S. McMillan that specializes in the study of minor planets, including various types of asteroids and comets...
project, which is one of a number of projects that look for near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). He wrote the first automatic asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
detection software for the project in 1984.
Discoveries
He has discovered numerous asteroids, particularly near-Earth asteroids, including , which briefly created a stir in the news media when a preliminary orbit calculation indicated the possibility of EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
impact in 2028; further observations led to a more accurate orbit, which disproved the impact.
He has also recovered more than 75 comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s starting in 1985 (since comets are subject to non-gravitational forces due to outgassing and solar wind, it is often a challenge to predict their exact position and rediscover them each time they make a new perihelion approach). He confirmed the discovery of the well known Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 was a comet that broke apart and collided with Jupiter in July 1994, providing the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of solar system objects. This generated a large amount of coverage in the popular media, and the comet was closely observed by...
, which impacted Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
in July 1994. He has also discovered the periodic comets 202P/Scotti, 244P/Scotti, P/2003 L1 (Scotti), P/2010 C1 (Scotti), P/2010 H4 (Scotti), P/2010 H5 (Scotti), P/2011 A2 (Scotti), the later seven are not yet numbered as they have only been seen at one perihelion passage. He has also discovered non-periodic comets C/2010 E5 (Scotti) and C/2010 F3 (Scotti).
Scotti's research interests include the origin of comets, the dynamical evolution of comets and asteroids, the Near-Earth Asteroids, and the outer solar system.
Scotti is also an avid space enthusiast and is interested in the history of space exploration and particularly of the Apollo Program. He has contributed to the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, which details the Apollo lunar explorations. He is also a space artist and photographer.
The asteroid 3594 Scotti
3594 Scotti
3594 Scotti is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 11, 1983 by E. Bowell at Flagstaff .- External links :*...
is named for him.
In 1991, he discovered 1991 VG
1991 VG
1991 VG is a Near-Earth object discovered by James Scotti. Due to its unusual orbit and rapid variation in brightness, there was early speculation that it could be a man-made spacecraft or rocket. In recent years, however, it has been discovered that most small objects with diameters less than...
.