Megan Schwamb

Megan E. Schwamb (born 1984) is an American astronomer and planetary scientist, and lecturer at Queen's University, Belfast. Schwamb has discovered and co-discovered several trans-Neptunian objects, and is involved with Citizen science projects such as Planet Four and Planet Hunters.

Megan Schwamb
Schwamb in 2015
Born1984 (age 38–39)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Alma mater
Known forDiscovery of 225088 Gonggong and other trans-Neptunian objects, Citizen Science projects, Astrotweeps
AwardsCarl Sagan Medal (2017)
Scientific career
FieldsPlanetary astronomy
Institutions
ThesisBeyond Sedna: Probing the Distant Solar System
Doctoral advisorMichael E. Brown
Websitemegschwamb.com

Biography

In 2006, Schwamb graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. summa cum laude with Distinction in physics. She went on to study astrophysics in the California Institute of Technology, graduated Master of Science in 2008. Schwamb finished her Ph.D. in planetary science in 2011, also from the California Institute of Technology. Her thesis was researching "Beyond Sedna: Probing the Distant Solar System",[1] and her advisor was Michael Brown.[2]

Between 2010 and 2013 Schwamb was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University. She worked at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Academia Sinica in Taipei in Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2013 until 2016.[3] Schwamb then held the post of assistant scientist at the Gemini Observatory.[2] before moving to Queen's University, Belfast. She is the creator and co-founder of Astrotweeps, a Rotation Curation account on astronomy.[4]

Schwamb is involved in citizen science projects. She is a founding science team member for Planet Four, project intended for mapping seasonal fans on the South Pole of Mars.[2] She is also part of the science team leading at Planet Hunters a project in which users analyze data from the NASA Kepler Space Mission while searching for exoplanets.[5]

Awards and honors

In 2017 she received a Carl Sagan Medal for excellence in public communication, for the creation of the Astrotweeps and Planet Four projects.[4] On 13 April 2017, asteroid 11814 Schwamb, discovered by Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory in 1981, was named in her honor (M.P.C. 103979).[6][7]

Research discoveries

She specialized in studying sednoids,[1] and co-discovered several trans-Neptunian objects.[8][9]

List of discovered minor planets

Megan Schwamb is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery and co-discovery of 16 minor planets during 2007–2010 (see list).[8] In addition to the confirmed discoveries, she also participated in the first observations of the unnumbered objects 2008 ST291, 2012 HG84 and 2012 KU50.

(187661) 2007 JG4310 May 2007list [A][B]
229762 Gǃkúnǁʼhòmdímà17 July 2007list [A][B]
225088 Gonggong17 July 2007list [A][B]
(305543) 2008 QY4025 August 2008list [A][B]
(315530) 2008 AP12911 January 2008list [A]
(382004) 2010 RM649 September 2010list [B][C]
(386096) 2007 PR447 August 2007list [A]
(445473) 2010 VZ9811 November 2010list [B][C]
(471196) 2010 PK6614 August 2010list [B][C]
(471210) 2010 VW113 November 2010list [B][C]
(499522) 2010 PL6614 August 2010list [B][C]
(504555) 2008 SO26624 September 2008list [A][B]
(508338) 2015 SO208 October 2010list
(523618) 2007 RT1511 September 2007list [A][B]
(523629) 2008 SP26626 September 2008list [A][B]
(528381) 2008 ST29124 September 2008list [A][B]
Co-discovery made with:
A M. E. Brown
B D. L. Rabinowitz
C S. Tourtellotte

References
  1. Megan E. Schwamb (2011). "Beyond Sedna: Probing the Distant Solar System" (PDF). California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. "Megan E. Schwamb's CV". Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  3. "Megan E. Schwamb's Curriculum Vitae". www.astro.yale.edu. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  4. "2017 Prize Recipients". Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  5. "About Planet Hunters - Teams". Planethunters.org. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  6. "11814 Schwamb (1981 EW26)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  7. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  8. "Minor Planet Discoverers (Alphabetically)". Minor Planet Center. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  9. "List Of Transneptunian Objects". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 January 2018.

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