Alan C. Gilmore
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Alan Charles Gilmore Template:Post-nominals (born 1944 in Greymouth, New Zealand) is a New Zealand astronomer and a discoverer of minor planets and other astronomical objects.<ref name="UC-SPARK" /><ref name="springer" />
Career
Gilmore is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 41 minor planets, all but one in collaboration with his wife Pamela M. Kilmartin. Both astronomers are also active nova- and comet-hunters.
Until their retirement in 2014, Gilmore and Kilmartin worked at Mount John University Observatory (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury), where they continue to receive observing time. He is also a member of the Organizing Committee of IAU Commission 6, which oversees the dissemination of information and the assignment of credit for astronomical discoveries. The Commission still bears the name "Astronomical Telegrams", even though telegrams are no longer used.
On 20 August 2007, Gilmore discovered his first periodic comet, P/2007 Q2.<ref>Comet P/2007 Q2 (Gilmore), IAUC 8865</ref>
The Eunomia asteroid 2537 Gilmore was named in his honour,<ref name="springer" /> while his wife is honuored with the outer main-belt asteroid 3907 Kilmartin.<ref name="springer-Kilmartin" />
Gilmore talks on astronomy on the Radio New Zealand programme Nights' Science.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2019, he and his wife were honoured by New Zealand Post with a stamp in its New Zealand Space Pioneers series.<ref name="NZSpacePioneers" />
In the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, Gilmore was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to astronomy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
List of discovered minor planets
| 2434 Bateson | 27 May 981 |
| 3087 Beatrice Tinsley | 30 August 1981 |
| 3152 Jones | 7 June 1983 |
| 3305 Ceadams | 21 May 1985 |
| 3400 Aotearoa | 2 April 1981 |
| 3521 Comrie | 26 June 1982 |
| 3563 Canterbury | 23 March 1985 |
| 3810 Aoraki | 20 February1985 |
| 4154 Rumsey | 10 July 1985 |
| 4243 Nankivell | 4 April 1981 |
| 4248 Ranald | 23 April 1984 |
| 4409 Kissling | 30 June 1989 |
| 4819 Gifford | 24 May 1985 |
| 4837 Bickerton | 30 June 1989 |
| 5207 Hearnshaw | 15 April 1988 |
| 5251 Bradwood | 18 May 1985 |
| 5311 Rutherford | 3 April 1981 |
| 5718 Roykerr | 4 August 1983 |
| 5763 Williamtobin | 23 June 1982 |
| Template:Mpl | 5 September 1989 |
| (5898) 1985 KE | 23 May 1985 |
| Template:Mpl | 24 September 1989 |
| Template:Mpl | 5 May 1987 |
| Template:Mpl | 23 March 1993 |
| Template:Mp | 23 April 1993 |
| Template:Mp | 14 June 1988 |
| Template:Mp | 12 February 1994 |
| Template:Mpl | 5 May 1987 |
| Template:Mp | 8 July 1989 |
| Template:Mp | 23 March 1993 |
| Template:Mp | 29 July 1989 |
| Template:Mp | 5 September 1989 |
| Template:Mp | 4 April 1992 |
| Template:Mp | 1 September 1989 |
| Template:Mp | 29 July 1989 |
| Template:Mp | 23 March 1993 |
| Template:Mp | 14 April 1994 |
| Template:Mp | 23 March 1993 |
| Template:Mp | 1 September 1989 |
| Template:Mp | 23 March 1993 |
| Template:Mp Template:Ref label | 2 August 2005 |
| Template:Mp | 4 August 2003 |
| Template:Note label not co-discovered with P. M. Kilmartin | |
|---|---|
See also
References
External links
- Alan Gilmore, UC SPARK - University of Canterbury