James Whitney Young Explained

James W. Young
Birth Date:	24 January 1941
Birth Place:	Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Minor planets discovered: 257
see

James Whitney Young (born January 24, 1941) is an American astronomer who worked in the field of asteroid research. After nearly 47 years with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at their Table Mountain Facility, Young retired July 16, 2009.

He was a very prolific minor planet-observer of both physical properties and astrometric positions, and had discovered more than 250 asteroids since 2002, most of them from the main-belt, as well as several near-Earth objects, Mars-crossers and Jupiter trojans. He also discovered SN 2004eg, an extra-galactic supernova.

The Florian asteroid 2874 Jim Young was named in his honor.

Biography

James W. Young (aka Jim Young) was born in Portland, Oregon and recently retired as the resident astronomer of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) near Wrightwood, California having been with them for 47 years.

Young was the lead technical guide at the NASA exhibit of the Seattle World's Fair during 1962. It was there he was encouraged to apply for an 'assistant observer' and 'darkroom technician' position at the recently developed Table Mountain Observatory with its new 16inches telescope which had just begun full operations in late 1962.

Table Mountain Observatory

Along with Charles F. Capen, Jr. (TMO's first resident astronomer), Young carried out photographic synoptic patrols using specific colors (UV through IR) of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Several technical reports were published of 'patrol' images of Mars during two Martian apparitions (1964–65 and 1966–67). The 1964 inferior conjunction of Venus was well observed from TMO. Color astrophotography was carefully investigated for planetary imaging using recently developed high speed color film emulsions.

With the newly (1966) installed 24inches Cassegrain/Coudé telescope, Young began his asteroid observations with JPL astronomers, Ellis D. Miner and Alan W. Harris. Asteroid rotational rates became his speciality soon thereafter and by 1980, over 30 publications in Icarus with Alan W. Harris resulted in nearly half of the (then) known rotational rates of these small solar system bodies.

With the advent of powerful lasers, Young became involved with several projects that aimed lasers successfully, first at the Surveyor VII spacecraft on the Moon (1968), later as two laser ranging programs developed at JPL in the 1990s found their marks on low and high earth orbiting satellites, and finally to the Galileo spacecraft some 6 million kilometers from Earth. In each case, Young was responsible for aiming/tracking the 24inches telescope on each successive target.

Hypersensitization

Other noteworthy projects Young was involved in included the 1969 installation of a large planetary spectrograph utilizing the Coudé focus of the 24inches telescope. Spectroscopic studies of the planet Venus were carried out by JPL astronomers, Andrew and Louise Young, with Jim Young assisting with hypersensitization of Eastman Kodak IR spectroscopic glass plates. Jim Young developed a new technique of cold storage for these extremely sensitive plates. His experimentation of 'clean' and properly washed plates, stored at -70 °C. for over two years, were without increased noise or loss of sensitivity. Previous experimenters could manage around a two-month reliability.

2-Micron All Sky Survey

In 1998, Young was asked to be an official observer for the 2-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint venture of Caltech (California Institute of Technology) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). Young carried out observations for this project at Mount Hopkins (south of Tucson, Arizona) and at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile until 2000, all the while maintaining his full Table Mountain Observatory responsibilities for JPL.

Near Earth Objects

Late in 2002, Young began his last asteroid research, centering on NEOs and comets that have been discovered by several NASA funded NEO search teams such as NEAT, LINEAR, LONEOS, Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), and Spacewatch. With the use of Astrometrica software, Young become an extremely prolific astrometrist for the Minor Planet Center (MPC) of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The director of the MPC, Dr. Brian G. Marsden called Young the third most accurate and reliable observer in the world then. He also co-authored and authored over 1500 MPECs (Minor Planet Electronic Circulars) and IAUCs (International Astronomical Union Circulars) during these last 7 years at JPL. NASA awarded Young a three-year grant to further his studies of NEOs and comets for JPL and the MPC during the last years before his retirement.

In 2003 Young accepted a new responsibility as 'Astronomy Team Leader' at Table Mountain, and supervised a staff of three employeesin maintaining two optical telescopes (0.4 and 0.6 meter cassegrain systems), four CCD cameras, and a computer network of over 20computers. Young maintained the optical performance of the telescopes, and the vacuum requirements for the CCD cameras. He also wasin charge of the telescope scheduling for all visiting astronomers and his staff. TMO recently placed their new on-line webpage forall users as well as the public (see below link).

List of discovered minor planets

James Whitney Young is credited as "J. W. Young" by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 256 minor planets made between 2002 and 2009.

	10 September 2002
	1 February 2003
	17 March 2004
	30 May 2003
	21 November 2002
	19 September 2003
	19 October 2003
	22 October 2003
	14 November 2003
	5 January 2004
	11 April 2004
	26 January 2003
	23 May 2003
	13 December 2003
	2 September 2004
	7 November 2004
	18 September 2003
	5 October 2003
	7 November 2004
	29 August 2002
	24 November 2002
	9 April 2004
	3 May 2005
	30 March 2003
	2 July 2005

	15 September 2005
	6 February 2003
	24 October 2005
	20 November 2005
	1 September 2005
	21 November 2005
	20 January 2003
	17 August 2004
	24 October 2003
	27 October 2002
	23 October 2003
	2 November 2002
	4 November 2002
	5 November 2002
	7 April 2006
	15 September 2003
	20 October 2003
	9 December 2003
	16 October 2006
	14 November 2003
	30 March 2003
	17 November 2003
	8 May 2004
	26 March 2003
	19 October 2003

	20 October 2003
	14 March 2004
	13 May 2004
	16 October 2006
	2 November 2002
	25 March 2003
	10 April 2004
	5 March 2008
	12 February 2004
	23 October 2005
	8 July 2005
	23 October 2005
	3 October 2003
	10 November 2004
	22 May 2003
	7 October 2003
	19 June 2004
	21 March 2003
	18 October 2003
	17 September 2004
	1 May 2006
	24 November 2003
	30 September 2004
	15 October 2003
	12 February 2004

	10 November 2004
	4 June 2006
	14 September 2007
	17 January 2005
	26 March 2003
	22 May 2003
	15 September 2003
	4 October 2004
	13 November 2002
	7 October 2003
	8 October 2003
	15 November 2006
	27 August 2006
	1 September 2005
	30 September 2005
	12 September 2003
	8 May 2004
	30 August 2004
	13 August 2005
	22 November 2005
	16 May 2007
	15 September 2003
	10 November 2004
	10 November 2004
	8 July 2005

	22 March 2003
	14 September 2004
	23 October 2005
	5 September 2005
	23 February 2006
	21 January 2003
	18 November 2003
	5 August 2007
	20 October 2003
	19 January 2005
	8 February 2006
	2 October 2008
	5 November 2002
	13 September 2007
	8 September 2004
	2 July 2005
	13 August 2005
	1 November 2006
	15 September 2005
	19 November 2005
	26 March 2003
	20 May 2003
	11 January 2004
	11 August 2004
	20 November 2005

	4 September 2006
	1 November 2006
	2 November 2007
	14 November 2003
	13 December 2003
	22 June 2004
	10 November 2004
	29 August 2005
	19 June 2006
	22 August 2006
	21 July 2003
	1 July 2005
	11 September 2002
	3 September 2003
	25 October 2002
	15 September 2003
	24 March 2004
	18 May 2007
	16 July 2007
	5 September 2008
	5 November 2002
	23 May 2003
	4 February 2005
	23 September 2008
	28 September 2008

	15 May 2007
	28 September 2008
	2 November 2002
	24 November 2002
	31 March 2003
	29 September 2003
	11 March 2004
	24 March 2004
	16 August 2004
	2 September 2004
	7 October 2004
	12 August 2005
	25 September 2005
	11 February 2006
	16 May 2007
	12 March 2008
	15 June 2008
	23 January 2004
	18 August 2004
	13 August 2005
	22 January 2006
	7 February 2006
	30 August 2006
	23 September 2008
	8 September 2004

	20 January 2005
	26 March 2003
	15 December 2007
	13 November 2006
	8 May 2004
	20 November 2005
	20 December 2005
	15 November 2006
	14 March 2007
	2 October 2004
	4 February 2006
	10 September 2004
	20 November 2005
	4 February 2006
	17 December 2003
	22 June 2004
	19 January 2005
	7 May 2006
	17 August 2004
	29 May 2008
	8 May 2004
	11 August 2004
	1 September 2005
	20 November 2005
	20 January 2003

	18 January 2005
	19 January 2005
	4 April 2008
	14 February 2004
	5 February 2003
	25 March 2004
	28 September 2008
	4 November 2002
	25 March 2003
	29 June 2004
	7 January 2009
	6 February 2003
	11 August 2004
	11 January 2006
	19 December 2005
	1 September 2006
	29 April 2006
	1 May 2006
	2 February 2008
	21 July 2007
	28 October 2008
	11 January 2004
	20 November 2005
	3 November 2002
	10 March 2007

	24 July 2007
	28 October 2008
	10 April 2004
	20 January 2005
	13 July 2007
	21 July 2007
	31 March 2003
	29 September 2005
	19 March 2008
	10 September 2008
	16 May 2007
	14 October 2007
	18 October 2003
	19 June 2009
	12 November 2005
	8 April 2003
	8 May 2004
	29 October 2005
	29 April 2006
	25 March 2004
	13 March 2004
	4 November 2005
	19 November 2005
	7 April 2006
	18 November 2007

important;
	29 September 2005
	4 October 2004
	22 November 2005
	10 September 2008
	6 September 2006
	22 June 2004*
	27 January 2003
Co-discovery made with: A. Grigsby

Outreach

Young taught an astronomy extension course for the University of California, Riverside in 1969 and 1970 specifically for high school and junior college teachers and educators.

Young frequently lectures about his work to youth, school, civic, and church groups around the western USA. In 2006 he attended the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) General Assembly 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic. Young gave a presentation on his activities taking astrometric observations of NEOs and comets at Table Mountain Observatory in the S236 Symposium on August 14. Young, and his wife Karen (a HS Science and Math teacher), hold annual star-parties for their local communities as anOutreach Program. The 13th annual event, was held on October 15, 2010. The event was attended by approximately 80 people, with manyschool children, parents, and Boy Scouts present. With six telescopes, many from members of the High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS),participants viewed the moon, and later when the clouds cleared in the east, a shadow transit of Io across Jupiter's cloud surface was seen.

Mr. Young spoke at the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii on December 23, 2010. Young's presentation, entitled "The First AsteroidDiscovery to Near-Earth Hazards" featured Scott Manley's visualization titled, '1980-2010 Asteroid Discoveries', a six-minuteversion (made especially for this presentation, with a re-mix of the music "Transgenic" from Trifonic Music, LLC). Still in Hilo, Mr. Young also gavean evening fireside at the Hilo Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, entitled, "The Creation as Viewed by an Astronomer".This same fireside was given in Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Medina, Ohio in May, 2011.

On the afternoon of June 5, Young held a viewing of the Venus transit from Wrightwood, California for the local community. Mr. Young's 6-inch telescope was usedwith a solar filter for the 80-100 people who attended, as well as photography to record the event with a 2000mm telephoto lens.

Honors

The Florian asteroid 2874 Jim Young, discovered by Edward Bowell in 1982, was named in his honor.

Asteroid meanings

List of named minor planet and their meanings
width=140	Minor planet	width=140	Named for	Description	width=50	Ref
78577 JPL	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Named for the NASA facility where Young was employed from 1962 to 2009.
84882 Table Mountain	Table Mountain Obs.	Named for Young's actual work place Table Mountain Observatory, near Wrightwood, California.
90525 Karijanberg	Karen Young Richard and Janet Halberg	Named for Young's wife, Karen (1953-) and her parents, Richard (1928–1978) and Janet (1932–1997).
95939 Thagnesland	Thaddeus and Agnes Vreeland	Named for Young's maternal grandparents, Thaddeus (1866–1921) and Agnes (1877–1961) Vreeland.
114239 Bermarmi	Bernard, Mary and Michael Young	Named for Young's parents, Bernard (1911–1988) and Mary (1912–1996), and well as his brother, Michael (1937-).
115312 Whither	Whitney and Heather Young	Named for Whitney and Heather Young, granddaughters of James Young; two children of son, Jeffrey.
115477 Brantanica	grandchildren	Named for Brandon, Brittany and Monica, grandchildren of James Young, and the three children of daughter, Jennifer.
115891 Scottmichael	grandchildren	Named for Scott and Michael, grandchildren of James Young, two children of son, Jeffrey.
116446 McDermid	Stuart McDermid	Named for Stuart McDermid (1952-), a JPL Science Division senior research scientist responsible for development of the LIDAR facility at Table Mountain Observatory for atmospheric analysis studies.
116903 Jeromeapt	Jerome Apt	Named for Jerome (Jay) Apt (1949-), Former director of JPL's Table Mountain Observatory, retired NASA astronaut who flew 4 missions on the International Space Station, and currently a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
120038 Franlainsher	Frances and Elaine Fisher	Named for Young's first wife, Frances (1944-) and her sister, Elaine (1947-) Fisher.
120174 Jeffjenny	Jeffrey and Jennifer Young	Named for Young's first children (with Frances), Jeffrey (1966-) (1967-).
128297 Ashlevi	Ashlie Philpott Levi Lemley	Named for Ashlie Philpott and Levi Lemley, grandchildren of James Young, and children of daughter, Eileen.
133280 Bryleen	Bryan and Eileen Young	Named for Young's children (with Karen), Bryan (1976-) and Eileen (1979-).
133527 Fredearly	Frederick and Pearl Young	Named for Young's paternal grandparents, Frederick (1889–1974) and Pearl Young (1888–1958).
142084 Jamesdaniel	James and Daniel Sealy	Named for James (1951–1978) and Daniel (1957-), the two sons of Bob and Hazel Sealy.
144692 Katemary	Katelyn Young	Named for Young's granddaughter, Katelyn Anne Marie Young (b. 1999), the daughter of Jim's son, Bryan.
147397 Bobhazel	Bob and Hazel Sealy	Named for Bob (1927–2002) and Hazel (1930-2020) Sealy, longtime residents of Seaside, Oregon. The Sealy family were, in part, very instrumental in Jim Young's long astronomy career starting from Jim's annual summer vacations in Seaside. Bob Sealy was an amateur astronomer, and started the Seaside Amateur Astronomer's Society, as well as taught astronomy classes at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Oregon. Hazel Sealy was very active in the Miss Oregon Pageant in the 1950s and 60s, and still is an active member of local community affairs. James Sealy tragically lost his life in a boating accident in the ocean waters just outside Seaside on July 8, 1978. Daniel is an amateur astronomer, ham radio operator, and community member while residing in Astoria, Oregon, along with his wife and two children.
150035 Williamson	Bruce Williamson	Named for Bruce Williamson (1953-), machinist at the Table Mountain Facility.
158899 Malloryvale	Mallory Vale	Named for Mallory Vale (1986-), a 2004 summer student at Table Mountain Observatory, who will be graduating from Northern Arizona University with a BS degree in astronomy in the Spring of 2009.
163626 Glatfelter	Pam Glatfelter	Named for Pam Glatfelter (1955-), the operational site manager for the Table Mountain Facility.
185641 Judd	Michele Judd	Named for Michele Judd (1965-), a Senior Engineer of JPL's Science Division who left JPL in 2008 to become the Managing Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech.
198110 Heathrhoades	Heath Rhoades	Named for Heath Rhoades (1972-), the telescope computer network administrator and programmer at Table Mountain Observatory.
201777 Deronda	Deronda Mayes	Named for Deronda Mayes (1957-), assistant astronomer at Table Mountain Observatory.
221019 Raine	Raine Krecic	Named for Raine Ann Krecic (2011-), granddaughter of James Young, and child of daughter, Eileen.
313892 Furnish	James F. Furnish	Named for James F. Furnish (1950–2021), a commercial fisherman and owner of the Hylah Ruth of Astoria, Oregon. He fished from California to Alaska, and the Columbia River for fish, crab, and a digger of razor clams. Furnish was actively involved with community government and school issues in Gearhart, Oregon, USA.