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Spacewatch


 
 

Spacewatch is a project at the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tu...
 that specializes in the study of minor planetMinor planet

Minor planets, or asteroids or planetoids, are minor celestial bodies of the Solar system orbiting the Sun that...
s, including various types of asteroidAsteroid

Asteroid, minor planet, and planetoid are synonyms, and are used to indicate a diverse group of small celestial bodies that ...
s and cometComet

A comet is a small body in the solar system that orbits the Sun and exhibits a coma and/or a tail  both due primarily...
s.

The project leader is Dr. Robert S. McMillanRobert S. McMillan

Robert S. McMillan is an astronomer at the University of Arizona, and heads the Spacewatch project, which studies minor plan...
.

Spacewatch discovered a moonNatural satellite

A natural satellite is a non-man-made object that orbits a planet or other body larger than itself....
 of Jupiter, now named CallirrhoeCallirrhoe (moon)

Callirrhoe ' or Jupiter XVII, is one of Jupiter's outermost named natural satellites....
, which was originally mistaken for an asteroid.

Other notable discoveries include 60558 EcheclusFacts About 60558 Echeclus

60558 Echeclus is a centaur in the outer solar system....
, 5145 Pholus5145 Pholus

5145 Pholus is a Centaur in an eccentric orbit, with a perihelion near the orbit of Saturn and aphelion near the orbit of Ne...
, 20000 Varuna20000 Varuna

20000 Varuna is a large classical Kuiper Belt object....
, , and . The project also recovered 719 Albert719 Albert

719 Albert is an Amor asteroid, the second one discovered after 433 Eros....
 (a long-lost asteroid), and found the periodic cometComet

A comet is a small body in the solar system that orbits the Sun and exhibits a coma and/or a tail  both due primarily...
 125P/Spacewatch.

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