James Whitney Young

James Whitney Young (born January 24, 1941) is an American astronomer who worked in the field of asteroid research. After nearly 47 years with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at their Table Mountain Facility, Young retired July 16, 2009.

James W. Young
Born (1941-01-24) 24 January 1941
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
Minor planets discovered: 257 [1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

He was a very prolific minor planet-observer of both physical properties and astrometric positions, and had discovered more than 250 asteroids since 2002,[1] most of them from the main-belt, as well as several near-Earth objects, Mars-crossers and Jupiter trojans. He also discovered SN 2004eg, an extra-galactic supernova.

The Florian asteroid 2874 Jim Young was named in his honor.[2]

Biography

James W. Young (aka Jim Young) was born in Portland, Oregon and recently retired as the resident astronomer of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) near Wrightwood, California having been with them for 47 years.

Young was the lead technical guide at the NASA exhibit of the Seattle World's Fair during 1962. It was there he was encouraged to apply for an 'assistant observer' and 'darkroom technician' position at the recently developed Table Mountain Observatory with its new 16-inch (410 mm) telescope which had just begun full operations in late 1962.

Table Mountain Observatory

Along with Charles F. Capen, Jr. (TMO's first resident astronomer), Young carried out photographic synoptic patrols using specific colors (UV through IR) of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Several technical reports were published of 'patrol' images of Mars during two Martian apparitions (1964–65 and 1966–67). The 1964 inferior conjunction of Venus was well observed from TMO. Color astrophotography was carefully investigated for planetary imaging using recently developed high speed color film emulsions.

With the newly (1966) installed 24-inch (610 mm) Cassegrain/Coudé telescope, Young began his asteroid observations with JPL astronomers, Ellis D. Miner and Alan W. Harris. Asteroid rotational rates became his speciality soon thereafter and by 1980, over 30 publications in Icarus with Alan W. Harris resulted in nearly half of the (then) known rotational rates of these small solar system bodies.

With the advent of powerful lasers, Young became involved with several projects that aimed lasers successfully, first at the Surveyor VII spacecraft on the Moon (1968), later as two laser ranging programs developed at JPL in the 1990s found their marks on low and high earth orbiting satellites, and finally to the Galileo spacecraft some 6 million kilometers from Earth. In each case, Young was responsible for aiming/tracking the 24-inch (610 mm) telescope on each successive target.

Hypersensitization

Other noteworthy projects Young was involved in included the 1969 installation of a large planetary spectrograph utilizing the Coudé focus of the 24-inch (610 mm) telescope. Spectroscopic studies of the planet Venus were carried out by JPL astronomers, Andrew and Louise Young, with Jim Young assisting with hypersensitization of Eastman Kodak IR spectroscopic glass plates. Jim Young developed a new technique of cold storage for these extremely sensitive plates. His experimentation of 'clean' and properly washed plates, stored at −70 °C. for over two years, were without increased noise or loss of sensitivity. Previous experimenters could manage around a two-month reliability.

2-Micron All Sky Survey

In 1998, Young was asked to be an official observer for the 2-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint venture of Caltech (California Institute of Technology) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). Young carried out observations for this project at Mount Hopkins (south of Tucson, Arizona) and at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile until 2000, all the while maintaining his full Table Mountain Observatory responsibilities for JPL.

Near Earth Objects

Late in 2002, Young began his last asteroid research, centering on NEOs and comets that have been discovered by several NASA funded NEO search teams such as NEAT, LINEAR, LONEOS, Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), and Spacewatch. With the use of Astrometrica software, Young become an extremely prolific astrometrist for the Minor Planet Center (MPC) of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The director of the MPC, Dr. Brian G. Marsden called Young the third most accurate and reliable observer in the world then. He also co-authored and authored over 1500 MPECs (Minor Planet Electronic Circulars) and IAUCs (International Astronomical Union Circulars) during these last 7 years at JPL. NASA awarded Young a three-year grant to further his studies of NEOs and comets for JPL and the MPC during the last years before his retirement.

In 2003 Young accepted a new responsibility as 'Astronomy Team Leader' at Table Mountain, and supervised a staff of three employees in maintaining two optical telescopes (0.4 and 0.6 meter cassegrain systems), four CCD cameras, and a computer network of over 20 computers. Young maintained the optical performance of the telescopes, and the vacuum requirements for the CCD cameras. He also was in charge of the telescope scheduling for all visiting astronomers and his staff. TMO recently placed their new on-line webpage for all users as well as the public (see below link).

List of discovered minor planets

James Whitney Young is credited as "J. W. Young" by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 256 minor planets made between 2002 and 2009.[1]

78577 JPL10 September 2002list
84882 Table Mountain1 February 2003list
90525 Karijanberg17 March 2004list
95939 Thagnesland30 May 2003list
114239 Bermarmi21 November 2002list
115312 Whither19 September 2003list
115477 Brantanica19 October 2003list
(115485) 2003 UR1922 October 2003list
115891 Scottmichael14 November 2003list
116446 McDermid5 January 2004list
116903 Jeromeapt11 April 2004list
120038 Franlainsher26 January 2003list
120174 Jeffjenny23 May 2003list
128297 Ashlevi13 December 2003list
(128621) 2004 RD2 September 2004list
(129066) 2004 VY287 November 2004list
133280 Bryleen18 September 2003list
133527 Fredearly5 October 2003list
(134010) 2004 VW287 November 2004list
142084 Jamesdaniel29 August 2002list
(143052) 2002 WY224 November 2002list
144692 Katemary9 April 2004list
(145166) 2005 JL3 May 2005list
147397 Bobhazel30 March 2003list
(147735) 2005 NE2 July 2005list
(147799) 2005 RA3415 September 2005list
(149450) 2003 CE146 February 2003list
(149976) 2005 UO624 October 2005list
150035 Williamson20 November 2005list
(152212) 2005 RG1 September 2005list
(152471) 2005 WE121 November 2005list
(158621) 2003 BJ20 January 2003list
158899 Malloryvale17 August 2004list
(161384) 2003 UK2524 October 2003list
163626 Glatfelter27 October 2002list
(163950) 2003 UN2223 October 2003list
(170025) 2002 VO2 November 2002list
(170026) 2002 VV24 November 2002list
(170027) 2002 VH55 November 2002list
(171287) 2006 GK37 April 2006list
(172460) 2003 RT1115 September 2003list
(172533) 2003 UO920 October 2003list
(172627) 2003 XP109 December 2003list
(173075) 2006 UC16 October 2006list
(174758) 2003 VX214 November 2003list
177065 Samuelnoah30 March 2003list
(177245) 2003 WB17 November 2003list
(177625) 2004 JD8 May 2004list
(180103) 2003 FX626 March 2003list
(180213) 2003 UM819 October 2003list
(180216) 2003 UY920 October 2003list
(180537) 2004 EB114 March 2004list
(180731) 2004 JW3513 May 2004list
(181492) 2006 UU116 October 2006list
(183309) 2002 VQ2 November 2002list
(183501) 2003 FU425 March 2003list
184064 Miner10 April 2004list
185641 Judd5 March 2008list
(186728) 2004 CH212 February 2004list
(187304) 2005 UV23 October 2005list
(188588) 2005 NP298 July 2005list
(188721) 2005 UU23 October 2005list
189944 Leblanc3 October 2003list
(190118) 2004 VR6010 November 2004list
(191323) 2003 KN22 May 2003list
(191485) 2003 TO27 October 2003list
(191621) 2004 MN319 June 2004list
(196297) 2003 FA21 March 2003list
(196926) 2003 UG518 October 2003list
198110 Heathrhoades17 September 2004list
(199742) 2006 JD1 May 2006list
201777 Deronda24 November 2003list
(202084) 2004 SE5630 September 2004list
(206462) 2003 TN1015 October 2003list
(206755) 2004 CJ212 February 2004list
(207028) 2004 VN6010 November 2004list
(207548) 2006 LZ4 June 2006list
(207690) 2007 RE1914 September 2007list
(209635) 2005 BR117 January 2005list
(211480) 2003 FC726 March 2003list
(211489) 2003 KP22 May 2003list
(211536) 2003 RR1115 September 2003list
(211917) 2004 TG84 October 2004list
(213727) 2002 VF9213 November 2002list
(213893) 2003 TN27 October 2003list
(213894) 2003 TP28 October 2003list
(216242) 2006 VK1415 November 2006list
216780 Lilianne27 August 2006list
(217425) 2005 RF1 September 2005list
(218653) 2005 SB13430 September 2005list
(220397) 2003 RK1012 September 2003list
(220578) 2004 JG8 May 2004list
(220634) 2004 QC2530 August 2004list
221019 Raine13 August 2005list
(221332) 2005 WB222 November 2005list
(221778) 2007 KC16 May 2007list
(223349) 2003 RP1115 September 2003list
(223907) 2004 VO6010 November 2004list
(223908) 2004 VQ6010 November 2004list
224067 Colemila8 July 2005list
(226331) 2003 FL22 March 2003list
(226810) 2004 RL22214 September 2004list
(227331) 2005 UW23 October 2005list
(229368) 2005 RC35 September 2005list
(229616) 2006 DK6823 February 2006list
(230550) 2003 BM21 January 2003list
(230737) 2003 WX718 November 2003list
(231463) 2007 PO5 August 2007list
(232595) 2003 UP920 October 2003list
(232936) 2005 BX219 January 2005list
(233332) 2006 CS108 February 2006list
(233749) 2008 TF32 October 2008list
(238022) 2002 VE55 November 2002list
(239313) 2007 RM1613 September 2007list
(240556) 2004 RQ1648 September 2004list
(242640) 2005 ND2 July 2005list
(245486) 2005 PF1713 August 2005list
(248904) 2006 VE1 November 2006list
(250711) 2005 RZ3315 September 2005list
(250907) 2005 WK19 November 2005list
(253333) 2003 FA726 March 2003list
(253383) 2003 KA20 May 2003list
(253859) 2004 AL11 January 2004list
(254157) 2004 PT9211 August 2004list
(255307) 2005 WR20 November 2005list
(255743) 2006 RV4 September 2006list
(256128) 2006 VD1 November 2006list
(256602) 2007 VO12 November 2007list
(259615) 2003 VZ214 November 2003list
(259680) 2003 XC1113 December 2003list
(260097) 2004 MX322 June 2004list
(260384) 2004 VP6010 November 2004list
(260835) 2005 QD2929 August 2005list
(261932) 2006 MU119 June 2006list
(261984) 2006 QT2322 August 2006list
(265031) 2003 OT21 July 2003list
(265526) 2005 NA1 July 2005list
(267625) 2002 RD23211 September 2002list
(267767) 2003 RJ103 September 2003list [A]
(270920) 2002 UT25 October 2002list
(271110) 2003 RO1115 September 2003list
(271474) 2004 FG624 March 2004list
(273959) 2007 KX118 May 2007list
(273995) 2007 OB16 July 2007list
(274335) 2008 RW225 September 2008list
(276361) 2002 VG55 November 2002list
(276471) 2003 KL323 May 2003list
(277029) 2005 CG74 February 2005list
(278734) 2008 SN8223 September 2008list
(278736) 2008 SX8428 September 2008list
(281235) 2007 JE3615 May 2007list
281445 Scotthowe28 September 2008list
(287374) 2002 VR2 November 2002list
(287417) 2002 WX224 November 2002list
(287577) 2003 FE4231 March 2003list
(287842) 2003 SX21929 September 2003list
(288425) 2004 EE11 March 2004list
(288474) 2004 FE624 March 2004list
(288691) 2004 QE16 August 2004list
(288703) 2004 RE2 September 2004list
(288957) 2004 TJ97 October 2004list
(290002) 2005 PC1712 August 2005list
(290183) 2005 SZ425 September 2005list
(291399) 2006 CD6011 February 2006list
(293605) 2007 KB16 May 2007list
(295035) 2008 EU8312 March 2008list
(295442) 2008 LU1615 June 2008list
(298635) 2004 BM4123 January 2004list
(298793) 2004 QE318 August 2004list
(299291) 2005 PK1713 August 2005list
(299453) 2006 BS5522 January 2006list
(299509) 2006 CJ107 February 2006list
(299693) 2006 QZ11030 August 2006list
301021 Sofiarodriguez23 September 2008list
303265 Littmann8 September 2004list
(303452) 2005 BL1420 January 2005list
(306209) 2011 QZ1826 March 2003list
(309524) 2007 XG2415 December 2007list
(311831) 2006 VS1313 November 2006list
(313892) 2004 JF8 May 2004list
(314457) 2005 WL20 November 2005list
(319134) 2005 YV820 December 2005list
(319798) 2006 VJ1415 November 2006list
(320088) 2007 EX8714 March 2007list
323552 Trudybell2 October 2004list
(324275) 2006 CH104 February 2006list
(327009) 2004 RK8410 September 2004list
327421 Yanamandra20 November 2005list
(327552) 2006 CO104 February 2006list
(329740) 2003 YP11717 December 2003list
(329778) 2004 MA422 June 2004list
(329876) 2005 BT219 January 2005list
(330226) 2006 JU267 May 2006list
(330476) 2007 FH617 August 2004list
(330697) 2008 KZ1129 May 2008list
(335014) 2004 JJ8 May 2004list
(335028) 2004 PU9211 August 2004list
(335332) 2005 RD1 September 2005list
(335466) 2005 WQ20 November 2005list
(338400) 2003 BK20 January 2003list
(339384) 2005 BZ118 January 2005list
(339385) 2005 BU219 January 2005list
(341868) 2008 GU14 April 2008list
(343399) 2010 CE17014 February 2004list
(344595) 2003 CN115 February 2003list
(344830) 2004 FE1825 March 2004list
(346391) 2008 SV8428 September 2008list
(347901) 2002 VD54 November 2002list
(347932) 2003 FW425 March 2003list
(348172) 2004 MY729 June 2004list
(349766) 2009 AH437 January 2009list
(350968) 2003 CH146 February 2003list
(351235) 2004 PW9211 August 2004list
(351677) 2006 AM7811 January 2006list
(354835) 2005 YB19 December 2005list
(359771) 2011 UV1271 September 2006list
(361139) 2006 HN5729 April 2006list
(364166) 2006 JB1 May 2006list
(364819) 2008 CB22 February 2008list
(371789) 2007 OE321 July 2007list
(372232) 2008 UR9128 October 2008list
(373986) 2004 AK11 January 2004list
(374404) 2005 WM20 November 2005list
(377081) 2002 VA13 November 2002list
(378266) 2007 ED1010 March 2007list
(378370) 2007 ON524 July 2007list
(378918) 2008 UQ9128 October 2008list
(380522) 2004 GK10 April 2004list
(382979) 2005 BK1420 January 2005list
(383620) 2007 NG313 July 2007list
(386087) 2007 OD321 July 2007list
(387730) 2003 FF4231 March 2003list
(388018) 2005 SA2629 September 2005list
(391766) 2008 FA19 March 2008list
(391796) 2008 RH7810 September 2008list
(394428) 2007 KA16 May 2007list
(400291) 2007 TS6914 October 2007list
(405301) 2003 UH518 October 2003list
(410817) 2009 MN19 June 2009list
(413647) 2005 VS712 November 2005list
416273 Glennsnyder8 April 2003list
(416583) 2004 JH8 May 2004list
(417020) 2005 UX6429 October 2005list
(417380) 2006 HM5729 April 2006list
(423163) 2004 FD1825 March 2004list
(427688) 2004 ET13 March 2004list
(427928) 2005 VQ14 November 2005list
(427939) 2005 WG19 November 2005list
(428067) 2006 GM37 April 2006list
(431625) 2007 WX318 November 2007list
(434491) 2005 SZ2529 September 2005list
(447078) 2004 TF84 October 2004list
(447286) 2005 WA222 November 2005list
(457275) 2008 RK7810 September 2008list
(481388) 2006 RD16 September 2006list
(483592) 2004 MY322 June 2004*list
(497011) 2003 BA8227 January 2003list
Co-discovery made with:
A A. Grigsby

Outreach

Young taught an astronomy extension course for the University of California, Riverside in 1969 and 1970 specifically for high school and junior college teachers and educators.

Young frequently lectures about his work to youth, school, civic, and church groups around the western USA. In 2006 he attended the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) General Assembly 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic. Young gave a presentation on his activities taking astrometric observations of NEOs and comets at Table Mountain Observatory in the S236 Symposium on August 14. Young, and his wife Karen (a HS Science and Math teacher), hold annual star-parties for their local communities as an Outreach Program. The 13th annual event, was held on October 15, 2010. The event was attended by approximately 80 people, with many school children, parents, and Boy Scouts present. With six telescopes, many from members of the High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS), participants viewed the moon, and later when the clouds cleared in the east, a shadow transit of Io across Jupiter's cloud surface was seen.

Mr. Young spoke at the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii on December 23, 2010. Young's presentation, entitled "The First Asteroid Discovery to Near-Earth Hazards" featured Scott Manley's visualization titled, '1980-2010 Asteroid Discoveries', a six-minute version (made especially for this presentation, with a re-mix of the music "Transgenic" from Trifonic Music, LLC). Still in Hilo, Mr. Young also gave an evening fireside at the Hilo Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, entitled, "The Creation as Viewed by an Astronomer". This same fireside was given in Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Medina, Ohio in May, 2011.

On the afternoon of June 5, Young held a viewing of the Venus transit from Wrightwood, California for the local community. Mr. Young's 6-inch telescope was used with a solar filter for the 80-100 people who attended, as well as photography to record the event with a 2000mm telephoto lens.

Honors

The Florian asteroid 2874 Jim Young, discovered by Edward Bowell in 1982, was named in his honor.[2]

Memberships and affiliations
TypeOrganization
Full MemberAmerican Astronomical Society (AAS)

Asteroid meanings
List of named minor planet and their meanings
Minor planet Named for Description Ref
78577 JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory Named for the NASA facility where Young was employed from 1962 to 2009. MPC
84882 Table Mountain Table Mountain Obs. Named for Young's actual work place Table Mountain Observatory, near Wrightwood, California. MPC
90525 Karijanberg Karen Young
Richard and Janet Halberg		 Named for Young's wife, Karen (1953-) and her parents, Richard (1928–1978) and Janet (1932–1997). MPC
95939 Thagnesland Thaddeus and Agnes Vreeland Named for Young's maternal grandparents, Thaddeus (1866–1921) and Agnes (1877–1961) Vreeland. MPC
114239 Bermarmi Bernard, Mary and Michael Young Named for Young's parents, Bernard (1911–1988) and Mary (1912–1996), and well as his brother, Michael (1937-). MPC
115312 Whither Whitney and Heather Young Named for Whitney and Heather Young, granddaughters of James Young; two children of son, Jeffrey. MPC
115477 Brantanica grandchildren Named for Brandon, Brittany and Monica, grandchildren of James Young, and the three children of daughter, Jennifer. MPC
115891 Scottmichael grandchildren Named for Scott and Michael, grandchildren of James Young, two children of son, Jeffrey. MPC
116446 McDermid Stuart McDermid Named for Stuart McDermid (1952-), a JPL Science Division senior research scientist responsible for development of the LIDAR facility at Table Mountain Observatory for atmospheric analysis studies. MPC
116903 Jeromeapt Jerome Apt Named for Jerome (Jay) Apt (1949-), Former director of JPL's Table Mountain Observatory, retired NASA astronaut who flew 4 missions on the International Space Station, and currently a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MPC
120038 Franlainsher Frances and Elaine Fisher Named for Young's first wife, Frances (1944-) and her sister, Elaine (1947-) Fisher. MPC
120174 Jeffjenny Jeffrey and Jennifer Young Named for Young's first children (with Frances), Jeffrey (1966-) (1967-). MPC
128297 Ashlevi Ashlie Philpott
Levi Lemley		 Named for Ashlie Philpott and Levi Lemley, grandchildren of James Young, and children of daughter, Eileen. MPC
133280 Bryleen Bryan and Eileen Young Named for Young's children (with Karen), Bryan (1976-) and Eileen (1979-). MPC
133527 Fredearly Frederick and Pearl Young Named for Young's paternal grandparents, Frederick (1889–1974) and Pearl Young (1888–1958). MPC
142084 Jamesdaniel James and Daniel Sealy Named for James (1951–1978) and Daniel (1957-), the two sons of Bob and Hazel Sealy. MPC
144692 Katemary Katelyn Young Named for Young's granddaughter, Katelyn Anne Marie Young (b. 1999), the daughter of Jim's son, Bryan. MPC
147397 Bobhazel Bob and Hazel Sealy Named for Bob (1927–2002) and Hazel (1930-) Sealy, longtime residents of Seaside, Oregon. The Sealy family were, in part, very instrumental in Jim Young's long astronomy career starting from Jim's annual summer vacations in Seaside. Bob Sealy was an amateur astronomer, and started the Seaside Amateur Astronomer's Society, as well as taught astronomy classes at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Oregon. Hazel Sealy was very active in the Miss Oregon Pageant in the 1950s and 60s, and still is an active member of local community affairs. James Sealy tragically lost his life in a boating accident in the ocean waters just outside Seaside on July 8, 1978. Daniel is an amateur astronomer, ham radio operator, and community member while residing in Astoria, Oregon, along with his wife and two children. MPC
150035 Williamson Bruce Williamson Named for Bruce Williamson (1953-), machinist at the Table Mountain Facility. MPC
158899 Malloryvale Mallory Vale Named for Mallory Vale (1986-), a 2004 summer student at Table Mountain Observatory, who will be graduating from Northern Arizona University with a BS degree in astronomy in the Spring of 2009. MPC
163626 Glatfelter Pam Glatfelter Named for Pam Glatfelter (1955-), the operational site manager for the Table Mountain Facility. MPC
185641 Judd Michele Judd Named for Michele Judd (1965-), a Senior Engineer of JPL's Science Division who left JPL in 2008 to become the Managing Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech. MPC
198110 Heathrhoades Heath Rhoades Named for Heath Rhoades (1972-), the telescope computer network administrator and programmer at Table Mountain Observatory. MPC
201777 Deronda Deronda Mayes Named for Deronda Mayes (1957-), assistant astronomer at Table Mountain Observatory. MPC
221019 Raine Raine Krecic Named for Raine Ann Krecic (2011-), granddaughter of James Young, and child of daughter, Eileen. MPC

See also

References
  1. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2874) Jim Young". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2874) Jim Young. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 236. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2875. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
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