Duncan Steel

Duncan I. Steel (born 1955) is a British space scientist.[1] He has discovered several minor planets and has written four popular science books. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union, which lists him as working at the Xerra Earth Observation Institute in Nelson, in the South Island of New Zealand.[2] He was formerly on the staff of the University of Salford in the United Kingdom.[3] Steel completed a PhD at the University of Canterbury in 1984 with a thesis on the orbital characteristics of meteoroids.[4]

This article is about the British astronomer. For the American physicist, see Duncan G. Steel.

Duncan I. Steel
EducationUniversity of London (BSc, 1977)
Queen Mary College (1978)
Imperial College of Science and Technology (MSc, DIC, 1979)
University of Canterbury (PhD, 1985)
Scientific career
FieldsSpace science

According to Scopus, Steel has an h-index of 13.[3] Between 1990 and 1994 he discovered twelve numbered minor planets.[5] The asteroid 4713 Steel, discovered by Robert McNaught in 1989, is named after him.[6]: 619 

In August 2022 Steel pleaded guilty to burglary and breaching the New Zealand Harmful Digital Communications Act. He was sentenced to 12 months' house arrest and ordered to pay $3000 in reparation for emotional harm.[1][7]

Minor planets discovered: 12 [5]
5263 Arrius13 April 1991
6828 Elbsteel12 November 1990
9038 Helensteel12 November 1990
9193 Geoffreycopland10 March 1992
9758 Dainty13 April 1991
9767 Midsomer Norton10 March 1992
10107 Kenny27 March 1992
16578 Essjayess29 March 1992
24734 Kareness10 March 1992
55815 Melindakim31 December 1994
58196 Ashleyess10 March 1992
69311 Russ21 August 1992

Books
  • Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets: The Search for the Million Megaton Menace That Threatens Life on Earth (Wiley, New York, 1995) (with a foreword by Arthur C. Clarke).
  • Eclipse: The Celestial Phenomenon Which Changed the Course of History (The Joseph Henry Press, Washington D.C., 2001) (with a foreword by Paul Davies).
  • Target Earth (Time Life 2000; Reader's Digest 2001) (with an afterword by Arthur C. Clarke)[8]
  • Marking Time: The Epic Quest to Invent the Perfect Calendar (Wiley, New York, 2000).[9]
  • Eclipse: The Celestial Phenomenon That Changed the Course of History (National Academies Press, Washington DC, 2001) (with a foreword by Paul Davies).

See also

References
  1. Tracy Neal (11 August 2022). Space scientist Duncan Steel given home detention for campaign to humiliate woman he knew. New Zealand Herald. Accessed August 2022.
  2. Duncan I. Steel. International Astronomical Union. Accessed September 2022.
  3. Steel, Duncan I.. Scopus. Accessed September 2022.
  4. Steel, Duncan (1984). Orbital characteristics of meteoroids (Doctoral thesis). UC Research Repository, University of Canterbury. doi:10.26021/8834. hdl:10092/13328.
  5. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  6. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(4713) Steel". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4713) Steel. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 406. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4625. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  7. Amy Ridout (11 August 2022). Space scientist sent woman's private details to colleagues and family, broke into her home. Stuff NZ. Accessed August 2022.
  8. "Astronomy Book Reviews". SkyNews. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  9. Hannah, Robert (2000). "Review: Duncan Steel, Marking Time: The Epic Quest to Invent the Perfect Calendar". Material Culture Review. 52.
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