Folks - does anyone know of a definitive list of celestial objects named after Irish people, places, culture... ?

My own personal interest in (9929) McConnell has peaked my interest. I know of two other asteroids named after Irish astronomers:

(8515)Corvan
(16693)Moseley

Cheers

Dave

Folks - does anyone know of a definitive list of celestial objects named after Irish people, places, culture... ?
My own personal interest in (9929) McConnell has peaked my interest. I know of two other asteroids named after Irish astronomers:
(8515)Corvan
(16693)Moseley
Cheers Dave

Dave, here's a few to be going on with!

Asteroid 6433 Enya after Irish singer Eithne Ni Braonain

Asteroid 10,502 ArmaghObs - provisional designation 1987 OT - in honor of Armagh Observatory's asteroid work

Asteroid 10,501 Ardmacha - provisional designation 1987 QF6 - old Irish name for Armagh - same reason as above

Asteroid 11450 Shearer - provisional designation 1979 QJ1 - after Irish astrophysicist Andrew Shearer

Asteroid 11451 AaronGolden - provisional designation 1979 QR1 - after Irish astrophysicist Aaron Golden

Asteroid 3753 Cruithne - provisional designation 1983 UH - after an ancient Irish tribe

.... and no Asteroid McDonald - after the Irish Drive-Thru Observatory!

Super - thanks Gordon! I remember the Enya one alright but the others are new to me.

Of course, if I were ever lucky enough, it would have to be (987654) Big Mac


Cheers!

Dave

Here's some more:

Lunar craters:
MacLear after Irish astronomer Thomas MacLear 1794-1879
Mallet after Irish seismologist/engineer Robert Mallet 1810-1881
Kathleen (near Rima Bradely) after Irish feminine name
Lindsay after Armagh Observatory's seventh director Eric Mervyn Lindsay
Alan - Irish male name

Mars crater
Tyndall after Irish-born (Co. Carlow) scientist John Tyndall 1820-1893

Planetary geology
Aidne Patera on Io - Irish creator of fire
Aife Fossae on Venus - Irish warrior deity
Alison on Venus - Irish first name
Amergin on Europa - legendary Irish druid and poet
Gwen Mons on Venus - Irish goddess of happiness and smiles

Lunar craters:
MacLear after Irish astronomer Thomas MacLear 1794-1879
Mallet after Irish seismologist/engineer Robert Mallet 1810-1881
Kathleen (near Rima Bradely) after Irish feminine name
Lindsay after Armagh Observatory's seventh director Eric Mervyn Lindsay
Alan - Irish male name

and of course Mr. Birminghams Mountain

and of course Mr. Birminghams Mountain

The Clementine Atlas mentions a crater named Birmingham but no mountain. Is the crater what you are referring to?

and of course Mr. Birminghams Mountain

The Clementine Atlas mentions a crater named Birmingham but no mountain. Is the crater what you are referring to?

Well yes and no. A crater it is - now. Originally a different area had been named for Birmingham.
Julius Schmidt originally named a walled in plain (not a mountain!!!!).
NASA moved his name to a smaller nearby crater. Paul Mohr - "Tuam & Irelands New Star" p352 has details.

Frank C.

Oh!
Not named after, but first one found - Asteroid Metis by Graham at Markree.

fc

Also 6860 Sims in memory of Alan Sims, former IAS Chairman,
see About --> Honoured under the IAS site www.irishastrosoc.org
about members honoured.

John

I've a copy of "Who's Who on the Moon: A biographical dictionary of lunar nomenclature" at home and it lists a few more Irish lunar craters. I'll try and dig out the info in the next couple of days.

of course there's always Walter and Mee, two lunar craters not far from each other, which honour a SDAS member!

John

The asteroid 951 Gaspra is named after the Spa town in the Crimea from which it was discovered. Nasa named craters (photographed by the Galileo probe) on the asteroid after spa towns.

Lisdoonvarna is one of them.
See List:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_geological_features_on_951_Gaspra

Mercury features are named for the Arts mostly. There is an official crater named YEATS after W.B. Yeats.

And don't forget the most recent (42531) McKenna.
Good on you Martin.

I think Dave may be on to something here about creating a list, and there'd be no better man than John Flannery to undertake this one. How about it John - will you do us a list?

I dont think anybody mentioned Agnes Mary Clerke,the Skibbereen woman.The Centenary of her death occurs next Feb.20 2007.
The lunar crater Clerke is named after her.

See:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Mary_Clerke
and:
www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521808448

Agnes Mary Clerke & rise of Astrophysics is a great read. It is easy to understand and it gives great insight to the genius of this wonderful Irish astronomer. There is a monument to Agnes in Skibbereen.

This book also paints a very detailed and rounded social history of the time, and is a credit to its author Dr Mary Bruck.

A date for your diary is Monday,March 19th 2007, Ely House, 8 Ely Place , Dublin 2.


The Irish Astronomical Society presents: Dr Mary Bruck
An Astronomical Centenary: Agnes Mary Clerke (1842-1907)

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society
www.irishastrosoc.org

My old(1976) edition of Antonin Rukl's "Atlas of the Moon" shows the crater "Clerke"on Map No. 25 just beside the crater "Littrow". (Just 70km or so North of the Appolo 17 landing site.
Must have a peek with my 6'' refractor.

I looked it up in VMA and I am hoping to do a sketch when the moon is out to play again.

The VMA has her down as English ?

Deirdre Kelleghan
www.irishastrosoc.org

Strangly enough a footnote in Rukl gives the following information about name-changes to craters which were approved by the I.A.U. in Sydney in 1973:
Crater "Clerke"
Old Name "Littrow B"
Position 29.2 W 21.8 N
Personality: US historian of Astronomy.

We Irish just can't win !

Surely Kenneth Edgeworth deserves a mention, after all he has the most objects named after him...several million!

From The Irish Times, 8 March 1999:
"The first astronomer to theorise about their presence was an Irishman from Streete, Co Westmeath, Kenneth Edgeworth, an accomplished amateur who published two papers in the 1940s.

These remained virtually unknown but the idea persisted, culminating in a paper in 1951 by a Dutch astronomer, Gerard Kuiper, whose name now
describes their place in the solar system."

The belt is of course, a complete misnomer!
A Google of "Kuiper Belt Irishman" will reveal other sources of course.

The history is littered with those who deserve the full or partial credit! Many of them are women of course: Jocelyn Bell Burnell (pulsars) and
Rosalind Franklin (DNA) spring to mind here.

In future, can we all refer to the EDGEWORTH-Kuiper belt please?
Thanks in advance

Well noted galactus!
The term is actually in use.
For instance see:

www.solstation.com/stars/kuiper.htm

Peter.

In future, can we all refer to the EDGEWORTH-Kuiper belt please?
Thanks in advance

Indeed. Thats a point I can be very pedantic about on some mailing lists!

Viva las EKBO's!