Zhang Jiaxiang

Zhang Jiaxiang (Chinese: 张家祥; 30 October 1932 – 29 December 2019), also known as Chia-Hsiang Chang, is a Chinese astronomer affiliated with Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and president of the Minor Planet Foundation at that observatory.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang (Chang).
Asteroids discovered: 1 [1]
5384 ChangjiangcunNovember 11, 1957MPC

He discovered 5384 Changjiangcun, an inner main-belt asteroid of the Hungaria family at the Purple Mountain Observatory in 1957 named after the village near Zhangjiagang, China. It is his only discovery credited by the Minor Planet Center under the name "C.-H. Chang".[1][2]

Biography

Zhang Jiaxiang was born on 30 October 1932 in Nanjing, Jiangsu, Republic of China. In 1951, he first joined the Purple Mountain Observatory as a technician, supervised by director Zhang Yuzhe.[3]

In 1957, Zhang Yuzhe and Zhang Jiaxiang published a paper discussing the orbit of artificial satellites. From 1965 to 1972, Zhang led the project of orbit determination of the first Chinese artificial satellite and thereafter the systematic studies of the orbit of Chinese synchronous satellite. His group discovered more than 150 new minor planets and four comets. In the 1990s, he accurately predicted a series of collision times between 19 comet nuclei and Jupiter, based on his self-established numerical model of the solar system dynamics. He then served as the chief scientist for the construction of the Near Earth Object Telescope.[4]

In recognition of his contributions, the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics named the asteroid 4760 Jia-xiang after him.[5]

Zhang died on 29 December 2019, aged 87.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. "5384 Changjiangcun (1957 VA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  3. "紫金山天文台研究员张家祥逝世，曾为两弹一星做出突出贡献". The Paper. 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  4. "Zhang Jiaxiang". Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  5. "4760 Jia-xiang (1981 GN1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
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