Charles T. Kowal

Charles Thomas Kowal ( born November 8, 1940 in Buffalo, † 28 November, 2011 Cinebar, Washington) was an American astronomer who many moons, asteroids and comets discovered.

Life and career

Kowal, born in 1940 in Buffalo, discovered 1974/1975 the moons of Jupiter and Leda Themisto, where Themisto was initially lost again and was not located until 2000. In 1977 he discovered the unusual asteroid ( 2060 ) Chiron, discovered in 1991 a coma developed during its last perihelion passage and therefore received an additional designation as a short- period comet. Likewise, the Aten asteroid ( 2340) Hathor, the Apollo asteroid (1981 ) Midas ( 2063 ) Bacchus, ( 2102 ) and Tantalus ( 5660 ) 1974 MA, the Amor asteroid ( 4596 ) 1981 QB and ( 4688 ) 1980 WF and the Trojans ( 2241 ) and Alcathous ( 2594 ) Acamas.

Kowal was also alone or co-discoverer of various comets, including 99P/Kowal, 104P/Kowal, 134P/Kowal-Vavrova, 143P/Kowal-Mrkos and 158P/Kowal-LINEAR (the object Chiron additionally carries the name 95P/Chiron ). His achievements included the discovery of numerous extragalactic supernovae.