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Charles Thomas KowalAmerican astronomer
Date of Birth: 08.11.1940
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Charles Thomas Kowal
Charles Thomas Kowal was an American astronomer known for his discoveries of numerous satellites, asteroids, and comets. He made significant contributions to the field and received several accolades for his work.
Discoveries
During his career, Kowal made several notable discoveries. In 1974 and 1975, he identified the satellites Leda and Themisto of Jupiter. Interestingly, Themisto disappeared and was rediscovered in 2000. In 1977, Kowal discovered the unusual asteroid-comet (2060) Chiron.
Kowal also discovered several asteroids, including Hathor (2340), Midas (1981), Bacchus (2063), Tantalus (2102), and 1974 MA (5660). He was also credited with the discovery of the Amor asteroids (4596) 1981 QB and (4688) 1980 WF, as well as the Trojan asteroids (2241) Alcathous and (2594) Acamas. Additionally, Kowal discovered several comets, including 99P/Kowal, 104P/Kowal, 134P/Kowal-Vavrova, and 143P/Kowal-Mrkos.
Awards and Honors
In recognition of his contributions to astronomy, Kowal was awarded the James Craig Watson Medal in 1979. Furthermore, the Kowal Crater on Pluto was named in his honor in 2015.
Charles Thomas Kowal's dedication to the field of astronomy and his numerous discoveries have left a lasting impact on our understanding of the universe. His work continues to inspire and educate future generations of astronomers.
