Henry L. Giclas

Henry Lee Giclas ( born December 9, 1910 in Flagstaff, Arizona, † April 2, 2007 ) was an American astronomer.

Giclas studied since 1929 with interruptions Astronomy at the Universities of Southern California and Arizona and worked for a time as an assistant at the Lowell Observatory. In 1942 he completed his studies definitively at the University of California, Berkeley, and took a position at the Lowell Observatory.

Giclas made ​​many photographic images of asteroids and comets to determine their precise orbits. In 1957 he began a lasting eighteen years systematic survey of the heavens, where he used a system designed for astrophotography telescope with 32 cm aperture. The photographic plates taken at certain intervals he compared by blink comparator. The goal was the discovery of the hypothetical planet X.

Over time Giclas discovered 17 asteroids, including (1886 ) Lowell, ( 2061 ) and Anza ( 2201 ) Oljato. Oljato is probably the origin of the body of meteor shower of the Chi Orionids. In addition, he discovered the periodic comet 84P/Giclas.

From 1968 on he was professor of astronomy at Ohio State University. In 1979 he retired.

In his honor, in 1960 discovered asteroid (1741 ) Giclas was named.