David H. Levy

Canadian-American astronomer and writer (born 1948) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Howard (Doveed) Levy (born May 22, 1948) is a Canadian-American amateur astronomer, science writer, and discoverer of comets and minor planets. He is best known for co-discovering Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 in 1993, which collided with Jupiter in 1994 in the first observed planetary-scale impact in the Solar System.

Born (1948-05-22) May 22, 1948 (age 77)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
AlmamaterAcadia University (B.A.)
Queen's University at Kingston (M.A.)
Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Ph.D.)
OccupationsAstronomer, science writer
KnownforCo-discovery of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9
Quick facts Born, Alma mater ...
David H. Levy
Giving a lecture at JPL in 1994
Born (1948-05-22) May 22, 1948 (age 77)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma materAcadia University (B.A.)
Queen's University at Kingston (M.A.)
Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Ph.D.)
OccupationsAstronomer, science writer
Known forCo-discovery of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9
SpouseWendee Esther Wallach-Levy (1997–2022; her death)
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Early life and education

Levy was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1948. He developed an interest in astronomy at an early age but initially pursued literary studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English literature from Acadia University and Queen's University at Kingston, respectively.

On February 28, 2011, Levy was awarded a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for his thesis "The Sky in Early Modern English Literature: A Study of Allusions to Celestial Events in Elizabethan and Jacobean Writing, 1572–1620."

Career

Astronomy

Levy has discovered or co-discovered 23 comets, either independently or in collaboration with Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker. He co-discovered the first Mars Trojan asteroid, 5261 Eureka, with Henry E. Holt in June 1990. In total, he has been credited with the discovery of 61 minor planets.

Starting in 2015, Levy began donating his observing logs—kept continuously since 1956—his personal journals dating from 1958, and his comet search records since 1965 to the Linda Hall Library of Science in Kansas City. The observing records are also available online through the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.[1]

Levy is President of the National Sharing the Sky Foundation and a Master of Astronomy with the DeTao Masters Academy (DTMA).

Writing

Levy has authored 34 books, predominantly on astronomical subjects. Notable works include The Quest for Comets, a biography of Pluto-discoverer Clyde Tombaugh (2006), and Shoemaker by Levy, a tribute to Gene Shoemaker. He has contributed articles regularly to Sky & Telescope,[2] Parade, Sky News, and Astronomy. His autobiography, A Nightwatchman's Journey: The Road Not Taken, was published in June 2019 by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.[3]

Broadcasting

Levy and his wife Wendee hosted a weekly internet radio talk show on astronomy. The program concluded on February 3, 2011, with a planned "Final Show." Archives remain available in WMA and MP3 formats.[4]

Personal life

Levy lives in Vail, Arizona. He was married to Wendee Esther Wallach-Levy from 1997 until her death in 2022.[5]

Awards and honors

The minor planet 3673 Levy was named in his honor.[9]

Discoveries

See also: Category:Discoveries by David H. Levy

Comets

Visual discoveries

  • Comet Levy-Rudenko, 1984t, C/1984 V1, November 14, 1984
  • Comet Levy, 1987a, C/1987 A1, January 5, 1987
  • Comet Levy, 1987y, C/1987 T1, October 11, 1987
  • Comet Levy, 1988e, C/1988 F1, March 19, 1988
  • Comet Okazaki-Levy-Rudenko, 1989r, C/1989 Q1, August 25, 1989
  • Comet Levy, 1990c, C/1990 K1, May 20, 1990
  • Periodic Comet Levy, P/1991 L3, June 14, 1991
  • Comet Takamizawa-Levy, C/1994 G1, April 15, 1994
  • Periodic Comet 255P/Levy, October 2, 2006

Photographic discoveries (with Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker)

  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 1, 1990o, P/1990 V1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 2, 1990p, 137P/1990 UL3
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1991d, C/1991 B1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 3, 1991e, 129P/1991 C1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 4, 1991f, 118P/1991 C2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 5, 1991z, 145P/1991 T1
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1991a1, C/1991 T2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 6, 1991b1, P/1991 V1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 7, 1991d1, 138P/1991 V2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 8, 1992f, 135P/1992 G2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9, 1993e, D/1993 F2
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1993h, C/1993 K1
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1994d, C/1994 E2
  • Comet Jarnac, P/2010 E2 (David Levy, Wendee Levy, Tom Glinos)

Other notable astronomical discoveries

  • Nova Cygni 1975, August 30, 1975 (independent discovery)
  • Nova Cygni 1978, September 12, 1978 (independent discovery)
  • Comet Hartley-IRAS (P/1983 V1), November 30, 1983 (independent discovery)
  • Comet Shoemaker 1992y, C/1992 U1 (aided in discovery)
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker 4, 1994k, P/1994 J3 (aided in discovery)
  • Asteroid 5261 Eureka, the first Martian Trojan asteroid, with Henry E. Holt, June 1990
  • Established the cataclysmically recurring nature of 1215-17 TV Corvi (Tombaugh's Star), August 1990[10]

Minor planets

Minor planets discovered: 61[11]
see § List of discovered minor planets

More information List of minor planets discovered by David Levy, Name ...
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See also

References

External links

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