Robert H. McNaught


see

Robert H. McNaught is a Scottish-Australian astronomer at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Australian National University. He has collaborated with David J. Asher of the Armagh Observatory.
The inner main-belt asteroid 3173 McNaught, discovered by Edward Bowell at Anderson Mesa Station in 1981, was named after him by its discoverer, following a suggestion by David Seargent.

Work

McNaught is a prolific discoverer of asteroids and comets, described as "the world's greatest comet discoverer" and he participated in the Siding Spring Survey using the ANU's Uppsala Southern Schmidt Telescope. He discovered the Great Comet C/2006 P1 on 7 August 2006, the brightest comet in several decades, which became easily visible to the naked eye for observers in the Southern Hemisphere. The SSS was the only active professional Near Earth Object survey in the Southern Hemisphere. The survey ended in 2013 after funding dried up.
McNaught previously worked on the Anglo-Australian Near-Earth Asteroid Survey from 1990 to 1996.

Other work

McNaught worked at the University of Aston's satellite-tracking camera originally outside Evesham in 1982, thereafter at Herstmonceux and more recently at Siding Spring. In his spare time he successfully conducts patrols for novae,
identifies images of prenovae and unusual variable stars on survey plates, measures their positions, makes astrometric observations of comets and minor planets and photometric observations of comets and novae. He also carries out extensive observational and computational work on meteors, as well as on occultations by minor planets.

Funding issues

In October 2011, partly due to changes in the exchange rate between the Australian and US dollars, Catalina Sky Survey of NASA had to end funding McNaught's southern survey, which used to cost $110,000 per year, ending the international cooperation in July 2012. The astronomer estimated that the survey needs $180,000 annually, plus a small one-time sum to fix the observatory dome. For several months the project was temporarily funded from the ANU, but in late 2012, the ANU advised that it could no longer support the program and that funds would not be available from January 2013.

Discoveries

List of cometary discoveries

In total, McNaught has discovered 82 comets.

Long-period

McNaught has discovered 44 long-period comets:
  • C/1987 U3
  • C/2005 E2
  • C/2005 L2
  • C/2005 L3
  • C/2005 S4
  • C/2006 B1
  • C/2006 E1
  • C/2006 K1
  • C/2006 K3
  • C/2006 L2
  • C/2006 P1
  • C/2006 Q1
  • C/2007 K6
  • C/2007 M1
  • C/2007 P1
  • C/2007 T1
  • C/2007 Y2
  • C/2008 A1
  • C/2008 J4
  • C/2009 F2
  • C/2009 F4
  • C/2009 F5
  • C/2009 K5
  • C/2009 R1
  • C/2009 T1
  • C/2010 J2
  • C/2011 C1
  • C/2011 G1
  • C/2011 L2
  • C/2011 L3
  • C/2011 N2
  • C/2011 Q2
  • C/2011 R1
  • C/2012 C1
  • C/2012 H2
  • C/2012 K6
  • C/2012 T4
  • C/2012 Y3
  • C/2013 A1
  • C/2013 E1
  • C/2013 F3
  • C/2013 G2
  • C/2013 G7
  • C/2013 J3
  • C/2013 O3

Short period

McNaught has discovered 26 short-period comets:
  • 191P/McNaught
  • 220P/McNaught
  • 254P/McNaught
  • 260P/McNaught
  • 278P/McNaught
  • P/2004 R1
  • P/2005 J1
  • P/2005 L1
  • P/2005 Y2
  • P/2006 G1
  • P/2006 H1
  • P/2007 H1
  • P/2008 J3
  • P/2008 O2
  • P/2008 Y3
  • P/2009 Q5
  • P/2009 S2
  • P/2009 U4
  • P/2010 J5
  • P/2011 L1
  • P/2011 P1
  • P/2011 Q3
  • P/2012 O1
  • P/2012 O2
  • P/2012 O3
  • P/2013 J2

Co-discoveries

McNaught is the co-discoverer of the following comets:
  • P/Catalina-McNaught
  • P/McNaught-Hartley
  • Comet McNaught-Hartley
  • Comet McNaught-Tritton
  • Comet McNaught-Watson

Groups

; Comets McNaught-Hughes:
; Comets McNaught-Russell:
  • C/1991 C3
  • C/1991 Q1
  • C/1991 R1
  • C/1993 Y1
  • 262P/McNaught-Russell

List of discovered minor planets

As of 2016, Robert McNaught is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery and co-discovery of 483 minor planets during 1975–2005.
3904 Honda22 February 1988
4093 Bennett4 November 1986
4128 UKSTU28 January 1988
4129 Richelen22 February 1988
4220 Flood22 February 1988
4456 Mawson27 July 1989
4499 Davidallen4 January 1989
4504 Jenkinson21 December 1989
4638 Estens2 March 1989
4667 Robbiesh4 November 1986
4678 Ninian24 September 1990
4679 Sybil9 October 1990
4699 Sootan4 November 1986
4704 Sheena28 January 1988
4710 Wade4 January 1989
4713 Steel26 August 1989
23 June 1990
4956 Noymer12 November 1990
4974 Elford14 June 1990
5007 Keay20 October 1990
5061 McIntosh22 February 1988
5066 Garradd22 June 1990
5068 Cragg9 October 1990
5133 Phillipadams12 August 1990
5136 Baggaley20 October 1990

5883 Josephblack6 November 1993
5914 Kathywhaler20 November 1990
5961 Watt30 December 1989
6012 Williammurdoch22 September 1990
6019 Telford3 September 1991
1 October 1991
4 March 1989
30 January 1993
6130 Hutton24 September 1989
6194 Denali12 October 1990
6316 Méndez9 October 1990
10 February 1991
6411 Tamaga8 October 1993
29 October 1991
25 April 1992
6461 Adam4 November 1993
6523 Clube1 October 1991
6564 Asher25 January 1992
6708 Bobbievaile4 January 1989
6870 Pauldavies28 July 1992
6906 Johnmills19 November 1990
6907 Harryford19 November 1990
6916 Lewispearce27 July 1992
4 January 1989
7096 Napier3 November 1992

8283 Edinburgh30 September 1991
8368 Lamont20 February 1991
8486 Asherschel26 August 1989
8515 Corvan4 September 1991
20 May 1990
20 May 1990
8842 Bennetmcinnes20 May 1990
8899 Hughmiller22 September 1995
30 August 1991
9349 Lucas30 September 1991
9391 Slee14 August 1994
9583 Clerke28 April 1990
9594 Garstang4 September 1991
9714 Piazzismyth1 June 1975
9843 Braidwood4 January 1989
9850 Ralphcopeland9 October 1990
9853 l'Épée7 January 1991
9855 Thomasdick7 February 1991
9857 Hecamede10 March 1991
9873 Freundlich9 April 1992
9881 Sampson25 September 1994
9899 Greaves12 March 1996
9984 Gregbryant18 April 1996
9985 Akiko12 May 1996
10058 Ikwilliamson25 February 1988

12819 Susumutakahasi12 May 1996
25 February 1988
10 August 1988
30 December 1989
10 March 1991
15 June 1993
4 November 1993
13176 Kobedaitenken21 April 1996
4 January 1989
4 January 1989
4 January 1989
20 October 1990
18 March 1991
29 September 1991
30 September 1991
2 October 1991
13551 Gadsden26 March 1992
13 August 1988
9 October 1990
13957 NARIT7 January 1991
2 September 1991
21 September 1989
5 September 1991
14420 Massey30 September 1991
30 September 1991

27 April 1990
5 September 1991
30 September 1991
17503 Celestechild26 March 1992
17555 Kenkennedy4 November 1993
17640 Mount Stromlo15 August 1996
18376 Quirk30 September 1991
18377 Vetter28 September 1991
19 August 1992
18412 Kruszelnicki13 June 1993
18413 Adamspencer13 June 1993
9 May 1996
15 August 1996
14 October 1996
30 December 1989
30 December 1989
20 May 1990
18 March 1991
30 September 1991
21 June 1995
20 May 1990
20002 Tillysmith10 March 1991
20015 Liguori30 September 1991
20043 Ellenmacarthur2 March 1993
12 June 1994

24680 Alleven30 December 1989
20 May 1990
9 October 1990
30 September 1991
30 September 1991
1 October 1991
1 October 1991
6 December 1994
4 January 1989
1 October 1991
3 August 1994
24 October 1994
20 December 1995
19 August 1990
9 October 1990
8 November 1990
2 September 1991
1 October 1991
1 October 1991
27 July 1992
28 August 1994
3 September 1999
22 February 1988
29 September 1991
4 January 1989

11 September 1999
6 October 1999
15 October 1999
28 January 1988
7 January 1991
10 September 1994
19 August 1988
46568 Stevenlee30 September 1991
24 February 1993
18 April 1993
18 April 1996
21 November 1989
30 December 1989
3 September 1991
30 September 1991
13 June 1993
20 October 1993
21 October 1993
7 February 1995
7 February 2000
17 September 1990
12 February 1991
9 November 1991
2 September 1992
16 August 1994

13 June 1993
13 June 1993
26 August 1995
15 October 1999
28 January 1988
1 October 1991
3 September 1995
7 October 1999
30 September 1991
1 October 1991
12 August 1994
22 February 1988
21 July 1989
4 September 1992
24 May 1993
3 September 1999
9 February 2000
4 August 2000
6 August 2000
4 January 1989
9 October 1990
26 July 1992
24 February 1995
24 February 1995
22 May 1996

14 August 2002
1 June 1995
3 September 1995
28 December 1995
14 August 2002
14 August 2002
18 July 2003
11 August 1996
22 July 2001
6 March 2002
22 July 2001
16 September 1990
4 September 1991
6 August 2000
18 July 2003
29 August 2000
22 July 1977
19 March 1994
2 July 2003
4 March 1990
1 October 1991
11 September 1994
5 October 1994
8 May 1996
6 March 2002

8 June 2003
22 September 2005
22 April 2003
29 October 1994
25 February 1995
7 February 1995
4 August 2000
13 April 2004
31 March 2004
6 August 2000
6 March 2002
6 March 2002
6 March 2002
16 October 1999
18 September 2003
29 August 2000
6 March 2002
4 February 2000
18 March 1991
24 November 1995
6 August 2000
4 January 2004
22 September 1990
15 December 2003
5 July 2005

List of novae