James Whitney Young
Encyclopedia
James Whitney Young is an American astronomer
who made significant contributions to the field of asteroid research. After nearly 47 years with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at their Table Mountain Facility, Young retired July 16, 2009.
He was a very prolific asteroid
observer of both physical properties and astrometric positions, and had discovered some 390 main belt asteroids since 2002, as well as two NEO
s ( and ), two Trojan asteroids (2002 VQ
and ), three Mars crossers, (2005 SA
, 2005 SB
, and ), and one extra-galactic supernova
(SN 2004eg).
James W. Young (aka Jim Young) was born in Portland, Oregon
and recently retired as the resident astronomer of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
's Table Mountain Observatory
(TMO) near Wrightwood, California
having been with them for 47 years.
Young was the lead technical guide at the NASA
exhibit of the Seattle World's Fair
during 1962. It was there he was encouraged to apply for an 'assistant observer' and 'darkroom technician' position at the recently developed Table Mountain Observatory with its new 16 inches (406.4 mm) telescope
which had just begun full operations in late 1962.
through IR
) of Venus
, Mars
, Jupiter
, and Saturn
. Several technical reports were published of 'patrol' images of Mars
during two Martian apparitions (1964–65 and 1966–67). The 1964 inferior conjunction of Venus was well observed from TMO. Color astrophotography
was carefully investigated for planetary imaging using recently developed high speed color film emulsion
s.
With the newly (1966) installed 24 inches (609.6 mm) Cassegrain/Coudé telescope, Young began his asteroid observations with JPL astronomers, Ellis D. Miner and Alan W. Harris. Asteroid rotational rates became his speciality soon thereafter and by 1980, over 30 publications in Icarus
with Alan W. Harris resulted in nearly half of the (then) known rotational rates of these small solar system bodies.
With the advent of powerful lasers, Young became involved with several projects that aimed lasers successfully, first at the Surveyor VII spacecraft on the Moon
(1968), later as two laser ranging programs developed at JPL in the 1990s found their marks on low and high earth orbiting satellites, and finally to the Galileo spacecraft
some 6 million kilometers from Earth. In each case, Young was responsible for aiming/tracking the 24 inches (609.6 mm) telescope on each successive target.
utilizing the Coudé focus of the 24 inches (609.6 mm) telescope. Spectroscoptic studies of the planet Venus were carried out by JPL astronomers, Andrew and Louise Young, with Jim Young assisting with hypersensitization
of Eastman Kodak
IR spectroscoptic glass plates. Jim Young developed a new technique of cold storage for these extremely sensitive plates. His experimentation of 'clean' and properly washed plates, stored at −70 °C. for over two years, were without increased noise or loss of sensitivity. Previous experimenters could manage around a two month reliability.
), a joint venture of CalTech (California Institute of Technology
) and the University of Massachusetts
(UMass). Young carried out observations for this project at Mount Hopkins
(south of Tucson, Arizona
) and at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
(CTIO) in Chile
until 2000, all the while maintaining his full Table Mountain Observatory responsibilities for JPL.
s that have been discovered by several NASA funded NEO search teams such as NEAT
, LINEAR
, LONEOS, Catalina Sky Survey
(CSS), and Spacewatch
. With the use of Astrometrica software, Young become an extremely prolific astrometrist
for the Minor Planet Center
(MPC) of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
(SAO) in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. The director of the MPC, Dr. Brian G. Marsden
called Young the third most accurate and reliable observer in the world then. He also co-authored and authored over 1500 MPECs (Minor Planet Electronic Circular
s) and IAUCs (International Astronomical Union
Circulars) during these last 7 years at JPL. NASA awarded Young a three-year grant to further his studies of NEOs and comets for JPL and the MPC during the last years before his retirement.
In 2003 Young accepted a new responsibility as 'Astronomy Team Leader' at Table Mountain, and supervised a staff of three employees
in maintaining two optical telescopes (0.4 and 0.6 meter cassegrain systems), four CCD cameras, and a computer network of over 20
computers. Young maintained the optical performance of the telescopes, and the vacuum requirements for the CCD cameras. He also was
in charge of the telescope scheduling for all visiting astronomers and his staff. TMO recently placed their new on-line webpage for
all users as well as the public (see below link).
in 1969 and 1970 specifically for high school and junior college teachers and educators.
Young frequently lectures about his work to youth, school, civic, and church groups around the western USA. In 2006 He attended the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) General Assembly 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic. Young gave a presentation on his activities taking astrometric observations of NEOs and comets at Table Mountain Observatory in the S236 Symposium on August 14. Young, and his wife Karen (a HS Science and Math teacher), hold annual star-parties for their local communities as an
Outreach Program. The 13th annual event, was held on October 15, 2010. The event was attended by approximately 80 people, with many
school children, parents, and Boy Scout
s present. With six telescopes, many from members of the High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS),
participants viewed the moon, and later when the clouds cleared in the east, a shadow transit of Io across Jupiter's cloud surface was seen.
Mr. Young spoke at the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii on December 23, 2010. Young's presentation, entitled "The First Asteroid
Discovery to Near-Earth Hazards" featured Scott Manley's recently released vidio titled, '1980-2010 Asteroid Discoveries', a six-minute
version (made especially for this presentation, with a re-mix of the music "Transgenic" from Trifonic Music, LLC). Still in Hilo, Mr. Young also gave
an evening fireside at the Hilo Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, entitled, "The Creation as Viewed by an Astronomer".
This same fireside was given in Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Medina, Ohio in May, 2011.
s discovered given permanent names: 23
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...
who made significant contributions to the field of asteroid research. After nearly 47 years with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at their Table Mountain Facility, Young retired July 16, 2009.
He was a very prolific 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...
observer of both physical properties and astrometric positions, and had discovered some 390 main belt asteroids since 2002, as well as two NEO
Near-Earth object
A near-Earth object is a Solar System object whose orbit brings it into close proximity with the Earth. All NEOs have a perihelion distance less than 1.3 AU. They include a few thousand near-Earth asteroids , near-Earth comets, a number of solar-orbiting spacecraft, and meteoroids large enough to...
s ( and ), two Trojan asteroids (2002 VQ
(183309) 2002 VQ
183309 is a Jupiter Trojan discovered on November 2, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*...
and ), three Mars crossers, (2005 SA
2005 SA
' is a Mars-crossing asteroid discovered on September 16, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.-External links:* ....
, 2005 SB
2005 SB
' is a Mars-crossing asteroid discovered on August 30, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.-External links:* ....
, and ), and one extra-galactic supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
(SN 2004eg).
Biography
| October 22, 2003 | |
| (116903) 2004 GW (116903) 2004 GW 116903 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on April 11, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
April 11, 2004 |
| (128621) 2004 RD (128621) 2004 RD 128621 is a main belt asteroid discovered on September 2, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
September 2, 2004 |
| November 7, 2004 | |
| November 7, 2004 | |
| November 24, 2002 | |
| (145166) 2005 JL (145166) 2005 JL 145166 is a main belt asteroid discovered on May 3, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
May 3, 2005 |
| (147735) 2005 NE (147735) 2005 NE 147735 is a main belt asteroid discovered on July 2, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
July 2, 2005 |
| September 15, 2005 | |
| February 6, 2003 | |
| October 24, 2005 | |
| (152212) 2005 RG (152212) 2005 RG 152212 is a main belt asteroid discovered on September 1, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
September 1, 2005 |
| November 21, 2005 | |
| (158621) 2003 BJ (158621) 2003 BJ 2003 BJ is a Main Belt asteroid discovered on January 20, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
January 20, 2003 |
| October 24, 2003 | |
| October 23, 2003 | |
| September 8, 2002 | |
| (170025) 2002 VO (170025) 2002 VO 170025 is a main belt asteroid discovered on November 2, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
November 2, 2002 |
| November 4, 2002 | |
| November 5, 2002 | |
| April 7, 2006 | |
| September 15, 2003 | |
| October 20, 2003 | |
| December 9, 2003 | |
| (173075) 2006 UC (173075) 2006 UC 173075 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 16, 2006 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
October 16, 2006 |
| November 14, 2003 | |
| March 30, 2003 | |
| (177245) 2003 WB (177245) 2003 WB 2003 WB is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 17, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
November 17, 2003 |
| (177625) 2004 JD (177625) 2004 JD 177625 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 8, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
May 8, 2004 |
| March 26, 2003 | |
| October 19, 2003 | |
| October 20, 2003 | |
| March 14, 2004 | |
| May 13, 2004 | |
| October 16, 2006 | |
| (183309) 2002 VQ (183309) 2002 VQ 183309 is a Jupiter Trojan discovered on November 2, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
November 2, 2002 |
| March 25, 2003 | |
| (184064) 2004 GM (184064) 2004 GM 2004 GM is a main-belt asteroid discovered on April 10, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.-External links:*... |
April 10, 2004 |
| February 12, 2004 | |
| (187304) 2005 UV (187304) 2005 UV 187304 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 23, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
October 23, 2005 |
| July 8, 2005 | |
| (188721) 2005 UU (188721) 2005 UU 188721 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 23, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
October 23, 2005 |
| (189944) 2003 TX (189944) 2003 TX 2003 TX is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 3, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :*... |
October 3, 2003 |
| November 10, 2004 | |
| (191323) 2003 KN (191323) 2003 KN 2003 KN is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 22, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
May 22, 2003 |
| October 7, 2003 | |
| June 19, 2004 | |
| (196297) 2003 FA (196297) 2003 FA 2003 FA is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 21, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
March 21, 2003 |
| October 18, 2003 | |
| (199742) 2006 JD (199742) 2006 JD 199742 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 1, 2006 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
May 1, 2006 |
| September 30, 2004 | |
| October 15, 2003 | |
| February 12, 2004 | |
| November 10, 2004 | |
| (207548) 2006 LZ (207548) 2006 LZ 207548 is a main-belt asteroid discovered on June 4, 2006 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
June 4, 2006 |
| September 14, 2007 | |
| January 17, 2005 | |
| March 26, 2003 | |
| (211489) 2003 KP (211489) 2003 KP 2003 KP is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 22, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
May 22, 2003 |
| September 15, 2003 | |
| October 4, 2004 | |
| November 13, 2002 | |
| October 7, 2003 | |
| October 8, 2003 | |
| November 15, 2006 | |
| August 27, 2006 | |
| (217425) 2005 RF | September 1, 2005 |
| September 30, 2005 | |
| September 12, 2003 | |
| (220578) 2004 JG | May 8, 2004 |
| August 30, 2004 | |
| August 13, 2005 | |
| November 22, 2005 | |
| (221778) 2007 KC | May 16, 2007 |
| September 15, 2003 | |
| November 10, 2004 | |
| November 10, 2004 | |
| July 8, 2005 | |
| (226331) 2003 FL | March 22, 2003 |
| September 14, 2004 | |
| (227331) 2005 UW | October 23, 2005 |
| September 5, 2005 | |
| February 23, 2006 | |
| (230550) 2003 BM | January 21, 2003 |
| November 18, 2003 | |
| (231463) 2007 PO | August 5, 2007 |
| October 20, 2003 | |
| January 19, 2005 | |
| February 8, 2006 | |
| October 2, 2008 | |
| November 5, 2002 | |
| September 13, 2007 | |
| September 8, 2004 | |
| (242640) 2005 ND | July 2, 2005 |
| August 13, 2005 | |
| (248904) 2006 VE | November 1, 2006 |
| September 15, 2005 | |
| (250907) 2005 WK | November 19, 2005 |
| March 26, 2003 | |
| (253383) 2003 KA | May 20, 2003 |
| (253859) 2004 AL | January 11, 2004 |
| August 12, 2004 | |
| (255307) 2005 WR | November 20, 2005 |
| (255743) 2006 RV | September 4, 2006 |
| (256128) 2006 VD | November 1, 2006 |
| November 2, 2007 | |
| November 14, 2003 | |
| December 13, 2003 | |
| June 22, 2004 | |
| November 10, 2004 | |
| August 29, 2005 | |
| June 19, 2006 | |
| August 22, 2006 | |
| (265031) 2003 OT | July 21, 2003 |
| (265526) 2005 NA | July 1, 2005 |
| September 11, 2002 | |
| September 3, 2003 | |
| (270920) 2002 UT | October 25, 2002 |
| September 15, 2003 | |
| March 24, 2004 | |
| May 18, 2007 | |
| (273995) 2007 OB | July 16, 2007 |
| September 5, 2008 | |
| November 5, 2002 | |
| May 23, 2003 | |
| February 4, 2005 | |
| September 23, 2008 | |
| September 28, 2008 | |
| May 15, 2007 | |
| September 2, 2008 | |
| (287374) 2002 VR | November 2, 2002 |
| November 24, 2002 | |
| March 31, 2003 | |
| September 29, 2003 | |
| (288425) 2004 EE | March 11, 2004 |
| March 24, 2004 | |
| (288691) 2004 QE | August 16, 2004 |
| (288703) 2004 RE | September 2, 2004 |
| October 7, 2004 | |
| August 12, 2005 | |
| September 25, 2005 | |
| February 11, 2006 | |
| (293605) 2007 KB | May 16, 2007 |
| March 12, 2008 | |
| June 15, 2008 | |
| January 23, 2004 | |
| August 18, 2004 | |
| August 13, 2005 | |
| January 22, 2006 | |
| February 7, 2006 | |
| August 30, 2006 | |
| September 23, 2008 |
James W. Young (aka Jim Young) was born in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and recently retired as the resident astronomer of the 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...
's Table Mountain Observatory
Table Mountain Observatory
Table Mountain Observatory is an astronomical observation facility operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory...
(TMO) near Wrightwood, California
Wrightwood, California
Wrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of . The population was 4,525 at the 2010 census.-History:...
having been with them for 47 years.
Young was the lead technical guide at the 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...
exhibit of the Seattle World's Fair
Century 21 Exposition
The Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
during 1962. It was there he was encouraged to apply for an 'assistant observer' and 'darkroom technician' position at the recently developed Table Mountain Observatory with its new 16 inches (406.4 mm) telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
which had just begun full operations in late 1962.
Table Mountain Observatory
Along with Charles F. Capen, Jr. (TMO's first resident astronomer), Young carried out photographic synoptic patrols using specific colors (UVUltraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
through IR
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
) of Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, 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,...
, and Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
. Several technical reports were published of 'patrol' images of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
during two Martian apparitions (1964–65 and 1966–67). The 1964 inferior conjunction of Venus was well observed from TMO. Color astrophotography
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...
was carefully investigated for planetary imaging using recently developed high speed color film emulsion
Emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible . Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion is used when both the dispersed and the...
s.
With the newly (1966) installed 24 inches (609.6 mm) Cassegrain/Coudé telescope, Young began his asteroid observations with JPL astronomers, Ellis D. Miner and Alan W. Harris. Asteroid rotational rates became his speciality soon thereafter and by 1980, over 30 publications in Icarus
Icarus (journal)
Icarus is a premier scientific journal dedicated to the field of planetary science. It is published under the auspices of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences . The longtime publisher was Academic Press, which is now part of Elsevier...
with Alan W. Harris resulted in nearly half of the (then) known rotational rates of these small solar system bodies.
With the advent of powerful lasers, Young became involved with several projects that aimed lasers successfully, first at the Surveyor VII spacecraft on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
(1968), later as two laser ranging programs developed at JPL in the 1990s found their marks on low and high earth orbiting satellites, and finally to the Galileo spacecraft
Galileo spacecraft
Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. Named after the astronomer and Renaissance pioneer Galileo Galilei, it was launched on October 18, 1989 by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission...
some 6 million kilometers from Earth. In each case, Young was responsible for aiming/tracking the 24 inches (609.6 mm) telescope on each successive target.
Hypersensitization
Other noteworthy projects Young was involved in included the 1969 installation of a large planetary spectrographSpectrograph
A spectrograph is an instrument that separates an incoming wave into a frequency spectrum. There are several kinds of machines referred to as spectrographs, depending on the precise nature of the waves...
utilizing the Coudé focus of the 24 inches (609.6 mm) telescope. Spectroscoptic studies of the planet Venus were carried out by JPL astronomers, Andrew and Louise Young, with Jim Young assisting with hypersensitization
Photographic hypersensitization
Photographic hypersensitization refers to a set of processes that can be applied to photographic film or plates before exposing. One or more of these processes is often needed to make photographic materials work better in long exposures....
of Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
IR spectroscoptic glass plates. Jim Young developed a new technique of cold storage for these extremely sensitive plates. His experimentation of 'clean' and properly washed plates, stored at −70 °C. for over two years, were without increased noise or loss of sensitivity. Previous experimenters could manage around a two month reliability.
2-Micron All Sky Survey
In 1998, Young was asked to be an official observer for the 2-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS2MASS
Observations for the Two Micron All-Sky Survey began in 1997 and were completed in 2001 at two telescopes located one each in the northern and southern hemispheres to ensure coverage of the entire sky...
), a joint venture of CalTech (California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
) and the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
(UMass). Young carried out observations for this project at Mount Hopkins
Mount Hopkins (Arizona)
Mount Hopkins is a mountain in Santa Cruz County, Arizona part of the Santa Rita Mountains range. Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is located on it. It is within the Coronado National Forest and was named after Gilbert Hopkins who was killed nearby in 1865 during the Battle of Fort Buchanan....
(south of Tucson, Arizona
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...
) and at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is a complex of astronomical telescopes and instruments located at 30.169 S, 70.804 W, approximately 80 km to the East of La Serena, Chile at an altitude of 2200 metres. The complex is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory along with Kitt...
(CTIO) in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
until 2000, all the while maintaining his full Table Mountain Observatory responsibilities for JPL.
Near Earth Objects
Late in 2002, Young began his last asteroid research, centering around NEOs and cometComet
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 that have been discovered by several NASA funded NEO search teams such as NEAT
Near Earth Asteroid Tracking
Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking is a program run by NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory to discover near-Earth objects. The NEAT project began in December 1995 and ran until April 2007.-History:...
, LINEAR
Linear
In mathematics, a linear map or function f is a function which satisfies the following two properties:* Additivity : f = f + f...
, LONEOS, Catalina Sky Survey
Catalina Sky Survey
Catalina Sky Survey is a project to discover comets and asteroids, and to search for Near-Earth objects. More specifically, to search for potentially hazardous asteroids , that may pose a threat of impact.-Mission:...
(CSS), and 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...
. With the use of Astrometrica software, Young become an extremely prolific astrometrist
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
for the Minor Planet Center
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory , which is part of the Center for Astrophysics along with the Harvard College Observatory ....
(MPC) of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it is joined with the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics .-History:The SAO was founded in 1890 by...
(SAO) in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. The director of the MPC, Dr. Brian G. Marsden
Brian G. Marsden
Brian Geoffrey Marsden was a British astronomer born in Cambridge, England, and educated at The Perse School in Cambridge, New College, Oxford and Yale University. Dr...
called Young the third most accurate and reliable observer in the world then. He also co-authored and authored over 1500 MPECs (Minor Planet Electronic Circular
Minor Planet Electronic Circular
The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars are published by the Minor Planet Center. They generally contain positional observations and orbits of unusual minor planets and all comets. Monthly lists of observable unusual objects, observable distant objects, observable comets and the critical list of...
s) and IAUCs (International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
Circulars) during these last 7 years at JPL. NASA awarded Young a three-year grant to further his studies of NEOs and comets for JPL and the MPC during the last years before his retirement.
In 2003 Young accepted a new responsibility as 'Astronomy Team Leader' at Table Mountain, and supervised a staff of three employees
in maintaining two optical telescopes (0.4 and 0.6 meter cassegrain systems), four CCD cameras, and a computer network of over 20
computers. Young maintained the optical performance of the telescopes, and the vacuum requirements for the CCD cameras. He also was
in charge of the telescope scheduling for all visiting astronomers and his staff. TMO recently placed their new on-line webpage for
all users as well as the public (see below link).
Outreach
Young taught an astronomy extension course for the University of California, RiversideUniversity of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
in 1969 and 1970 specifically for high school and junior college teachers and educators.
Young frequently lectures about his work to youth, school, civic, and church groups around the western USA. In 2006 He attended the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) General Assembly 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic. Young gave a presentation on his activities taking astrometric observations of NEOs and comets at Table Mountain Observatory in the S236 Symposium on August 14. Young, and his wife Karen (a HS Science and Math teacher), hold annual star-parties for their local communities as an
Outreach Program. The 13th annual event, was held on October 15, 2010. The event was attended by approximately 80 people, with many
school children, parents, and Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
s present. With six telescopes, many from members of the High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS),
participants viewed the moon, and later when the clouds cleared in the east, a shadow transit of Io across Jupiter's cloud surface was seen.
Mr. Young spoke at the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii on December 23, 2010. Young's presentation, entitled "The First Asteroid
Discovery to Near-Earth Hazards" featured Scott Manley's recently released vidio titled, '1980-2010 Asteroid Discoveries', a six-minute
version (made especially for this presentation, with a re-mix of the music "Transgenic" from Trifonic Music, LLC). Still in Hilo, Mr. Young also gave
an evening fireside at the Hilo Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, entitled, "The Creation as Viewed by an Astronomer".
This same fireside was given in Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Medina, Ohio in May, 2011.
Memberships and affiliations
| Type | Organization |
|---|---|
| Full Member | American Astronomical Society American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC... (AAS) |
Asteroid meanings
Numbered asteroidAsteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s discovered given permanent names: 23
| Asteroid Names | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Name | Meaning | Discovered | Notes |
| 78577 78577 JPL 78577 JPL is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 10, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.Named for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory using its abbreviation JPL, the discoverer's employer.... |
JPL 78577 JPL 78577 JPL is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 10, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.Named for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory using its abbreviation JPL, the discoverer's employer.... |
Named for the NASA facility where Young has been employed since 1962. | September 10, 2002 | |
| 84882 84882 Table Mountain 84882 Table Mountain is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 1, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Table Mountain 84882 Table Mountain 84882 Table Mountain is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 1, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's actual work place Table Mountain Observatory, near Wrightwood, California. | February 1, 2003 | |
| 90525 90525 Karijanberg 90525 Karijanberg is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 17, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Karijanberg 90525 Karijanberg 90525 Karijanberg is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 17, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's wife, Karen (1953-) and her parents, Richard (1928–1978) and Janet (1932–1997). | March 17, 2004 | |
| 95939 95939 Thagnesland 95939 Thagnesland is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 30, 2003 by James Whitney Young at Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Thagnesland 95939 Thagnesland 95939 Thagnesland is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 30, 2003 by James Whitney Young at Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young’s maternal grandparents, Thaddeus (1866–1921) and Agnes (1877–1961) Vreeland. | May 30, 2003 | |
| 114239 114239 Bermarmi 114239 Bermarmi is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 21, 2002 by James Whitney Young at Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Bermarmi 114239 Bermarmi 114239 Bermarmi is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 21, 2002 by James Whitney Young at Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young’s parents, Bernard (1911–1988) and Mary (1912–1996), and well as his brother, Michael (1937-). | November 21, 2002 | |
| 115312 115312 Whither 115312 Whither is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 19, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Whither 115312 Whither 115312 Whither is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 19, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Whitney and Heather Young, granddaughters of James Young; two children of son, Jeffrey. | September 19, 2003 | |
| 115477 115477 Brantanica 115477 Brantanica is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 19, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Brantanica 115477 Brantanica 115477 Brantanica is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 19, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Brandon, Brittany and Monica, grandchildren of James Young, and the three children of daughter, Jennifer. | October 19, 2003 | |
| 115891 115891 Scottmichael 115891 Scottmichael is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 14, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Scottmichael 115891 Scottmichael 115891 Scottmichael is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 14, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Scott and Michael, grandchildren of James Young, two children of son, Jeffrey. | November 14, 2003 | |
| 115891 | McDermid | Named for Stuart McDermid (1952-), a JPL Science Division senior research scientist responsible for development of the LIDAR LIDAR LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser... facility at Table Mountain Observatory for atmospheric analysis studies. |
January 5, 2004 | |
| 120038 120038 Franlainsher 120038 Franlainsher is a main-belt asteroid discovered on January 26, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Franlainsher 120038 Franlainsher 120038 Franlainsher is a main-belt asteroid discovered on January 26, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's first wife, Frances (1944-) and her sister, Elaine (1947-) Fisher. | January 26, 2003 | |
| 120174 120174 Jeffjenny 120174 Jeffjenny is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 23, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Jeffjenny 120174 Jeffjenny 120174 Jeffjenny is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 23, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's first children (with Frances), Jeffrey (1966-) and Jennifer (1967-). | May 23, 2003 | |
| 128297 128297 Ashlevi 128297 Ashlevi is a main-belt asteroid discovered on December 13, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Ashlevi 128297 Ashlevi 128297 Ashlevi is a main-belt asteroid discovered on December 13, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Ashlie Philpott and Levi Lemley, grandchildren of James Young, and children of daughter, Eileen. | December 13, 2003 | |
| 133280 133280 Bryleen 133280 Bryleen is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 18, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Bryleen 133280 Bryleen 133280 Bryleen is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 18, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's second set of children (with Karen), Bryan (1976-) and Eileen (1979-). | September 18, 2003 | |
| 133527 133527 Fredearly 133527 Fredearly is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 5, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Fredearly 133527 Fredearly 133527 Fredearly is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 5, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's paternal grandparents, Frederick (1889–1974) and Pearl Young (1888–1958). | October 5, 2003 | |
| 142084 142084 Jamesdaniel 142084 Jamesdaniel is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 29, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Jamesdaniel 142084 Jamesdaniel 142084 Jamesdaniel is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 29, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for James (1951–1978) and Daniel (1957-), the two sons of Bob and Hazel Sealy. | August 26, 2002 | |
| 144692 144692 Katemary 144692 Katemary is a main-belt asteroid discovered on April 9, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Katemary 144692 Katemary 144692 Katemary is a main-belt asteroid discovered on April 9, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Young's granddaughter, Katelyn Anne Marie Young, the daughter of Jim's son, Bryan. | April 9, 2004 | |
| 147397 147397 Bobhazel 147397 Bobhazel is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 30, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Bobhazel 147397 Bobhazel 147397 Bobhazel is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 30, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Bob (1927–2002) and Hazel (1930-) Sealy, long time residents of Seaside, Oregon. The Sealy family were, in part, very instrumental in Jim Young's long astronomy career starting from Jim's annual summer vacations in Seaside. Bob Sealy was an amateur astronomer, and started the Seaside Amateur Astronomer's club, as well as taught astronomy classes at the Clatsop County College in Astoria, Oregon. Hazel Sealy was very active in the Miss Oregon Pageant in the 1950s and 60s, and still is an active member of local community affairs. James Sealy tragically lost his life in a boating accident in the ocean waters just outside of Seaside in 1978. Daniel is an amateur astronomer, ham radio operator, and community member while residing in Astoria, Oregon, along with his wife and two children. | March 30, 2003 | |
| 150035 150035 Williamson 150035 Williamson is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 20, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Williamson 150035 Williamson 150035 Williamson is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 20, 2005 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Bruce Williamson (1953-), machinist at the Table Mountain Facility. | November 20, 2005 | |
| 158899 | Malloryvale | Named for Mallory Vale (1986-), a 2004 summer student at Table Mountain Observatory, who will be graduating from Northern Arizona University with a BS degree in astronomy in the Spring of 2009. | August 17, 2004 | |
| 163626 163626 Glatfelter 163626 Glatfelter is an outer main-belt asteroid discovered on October 27, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Glatfelter 163626 Glatfelter 163626 Glatfelter is an outer main-belt asteroid discovered on October 27, 2002 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.... |
Named for Pam Glatfelter (1955-), the operational site manager for the Table Mountain Facility. | October 27, 2002 | outer main-belt 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... |
| 185641 | Judd | Named for Michele Judd (1965-), a Senior Engineer of JPL's Science Division who left JPL in 2008 to become the Managing Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies Keck Institute for Space Studies The Keck Institute for Space Studies is a joint institute of the California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory established in January 2008 with a $24 million donation from the W. M. Keck Foundation... at Caltech. |
March 5, 2008 | |
| 198110 198110 Heathrhoades 198110 Heathrhoades is a Main-belt asteroid discovered on September 17, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
Heathrhoades 198110 Heathrhoades 198110 Heathrhoades is a Main-belt asteroid discovered on September 17, 2004 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
Named for Heath Rhoades (1972-), the telescope computer network administrator and programmer at Table Mountain Observatory. | September 17, 2004 | |
| 201777 201777 Deronda 201777 Deronda is a Main-belt asteroid discovered on November 24, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
Deronda 201777 Deronda 201777 Deronda is a Main-belt asteroid discovered on November 24, 2003 by James Whitney Young at the Table Mountain Observatory near Wrightwood, California.- External links :* .... |
Named for Deronda Mayes (1957-), assistant astronomer at Table Mountain Observatory. | November 24, 2003 | |