Shoemaker, Carolyn

Carolyn Shoemaker is an observational planetary astronomer who has discovered more than 30 comets and 800 asteroids, more than any other astronomer. She received wide recognition and media attention in 1993 after she codiscovered a comet that would impact Jupiter in July 1994. Shoemaker's discovery allowed both amateur and professional astronomers to witness the event, providing important insight into what would happen if a comet hit Earth. The Jupiter comet was named Shoemaker-Levy 9 after Shoemaker and her husband, astronomer and geologist Gene [Page 1344]Shoemaker, and their colleague, amateur astronomer David Levy. Since 1980, Shoemaker has been a visiting scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Center for Astrogeology in Flagstaff, Arizona, where her husband was founding director. She has conducted regular observations ...