Takao Kobayashi

Takao Kobayashi (Japanese小林 隆 男, Takao Kobayashi, * 1961) is a Japanese amateur astronomer.

Kobayashi has been discovered at Oizumi Observatory using CCD technology more than 2000 asteroids, including some Jupiter trojans, and near-Earth asteroids from the Amor - type, such as ( 7358 ) Oze. He even dedicated the asteroid (3500) Kobayashi.

With the periodic comet named after him P/1997 B1 ( Kobayashi ) brought him further success: Originally classified as an asteroid, but further observations showed the typical comet coma and tail. P/1997 B1 ( Kobayashi ), making it the first comet ever discovered by an amateur astronomer with a CCD camera.

Takao Kobayashi is a professor at the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology, and is also in a high position for the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation ( formerly: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) operates.