Yi Dae-am,
Head of Yongwol Insectarium |
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
An amateur stargazer has discovered a new comet, becoming the first South Korean to do so, science authorities said Wednesday.
Yi Dae-am, who heads the Yongwol Insectarium in Gangwon Province, found the comet, named as Yi-SWAN C/2009 F6, using a 90 millimeter telescope and a digital camera on March 26.
Yi discovered the comet almost simultaneously with American astronomer Robert Mason, who found the comet in pictures taken from the SWAN (Solar Wind ANisotropies) solar observation instrument on the Solar Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft from March 29 to April 4.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) gave credit to both men in naming the comet Yi-SWAN.
Aside of running the insect museum, Yi is an also a part-time astronomer who has a personal observatory in the slopes of Mt. Taehwa, Gangwon Province.
``Yi found the comet in two pictures he took from his SLR digital camera and telescope around 5 a.m., locating a bright, blue green celestial object. The finding was immediately reported to the IAU, which confirmed they were images of a previously unidentified comet,'' said an official from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
``Yi, becoming the first Korean to discover a comet, represents the growth in the country's astronomer population, amateur or professional, and will hopefully contribute in increasing public interest.''
Yi-SWAN is one of more brightest comets found at present, with a magnitude of 8.5 allowing it to be seen by small telescopes. The comet is currently in the constellation Cassiopeia, but is expected to move to Perseus by the middle of this month.
The comet is expected to move within 1.27 astronomical units of the sun around May 8, the closest it will ever get, and its brightness is not expected to change from its current 8.5 magnitude, scientists said.
thkim@koreatimes.co.kr
|
데이트부터 청소부터… 시급남편까지
-Dosan-Memorial-Park.jpg)
