Eric J. Christensen
Eric James Christensen (born in 1977[1]) is an American astronomer and a discoverer of comets. Since 2023, he works as an Observing Specialist Manager at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Before this, he was a staff scientist with the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), where he was responsible for the survey's near-Earth object operation.
Career
[edit]Christensen holds a BFA from the University of Arizona, with a concentration in ceramic sculpture.[2]
In 2003, Christensen joined the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) near Tucson, Arizona as an observer. He was involved in software development during a major equipment upgrade at the observatory.[3] Around 2007,[citation needed] Christensen left CSS to work at the Gemini South telescope in Chile as part of the science operations team, including hunting for meteorites in the Atacama Desert.[2]
In 2012, Christensen returned to CSS as a Survey Operations Manager.[4][5][1] For ten years, he was the director of the survey's near-Earth object (NEO) operations, including observing, software development, cadence optimization, telescope and instrument maintenance and collimation, survey modeling and optimization, and project management.[2]
In August 2023, Christensen returned to Chile with his family to join the Vera C. Rubin Observatory as an Observing Specialist Manager.[4] The telescope is expected to see first light in January 2025, and start survey operations in August 2025.[6]
Discoveries
[edit]- Numbered comets
- Unnumbered comets
- C/2005 B1 (Christensen)
- C/2005 O2 (Christensen)
- P/2005 T2 (Christensen)
- C/2005 W2 (Christensen)
- C/2006 F2 (Christensen)
- P/2006 S4 (Christensen)
- C/2006 W3 (Christensen)
- P/2006 WY182 (Christensen)
- C/2006 YC (Catalina–Christensen)
- P/2007 B1 (Christensen)
- C/2013 K1 (Christensen)
- C/2014 H1 (Christensen)
- C/2014 M2 (Christensen)
- C/2014 W7 (Christensen)
- P/2016 A2 (Christensen)
- P/2022 E1 (Christensen)
Awards and honors
[edit]Asteroid 13858 Ericchristensen, discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in 1999, was named in his honor.[1] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 22 July 2013 (M.P.C. 84377).[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "(13858) Ericchristensen". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ a b c "Get to Know a Staff Scientist: Eric Christensen". University of Arizona. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ Levy, David H. (8 June 2009). "A little comet named Christensen". Retrieved 5 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Project & Science News". lsst.org. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
- ^ Marley, Mark S. (1 August 2023). "LPL Newsletter for August 2023". University of Arizona.
- ^ "Monthly updates". LSST Corporation. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
External links
[edit]- Eric Christensen Archived 3 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, University of Arizona
- Four Comets in Two Days – Comet Christensen (210P/Christensen = P/2003 K2), Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, 26 January 2018
- Comets discovered in 2007, BAA Comet Section
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