Michel Ory (born 18 April 1966) is a Swiss amateur astronomer and a prolific discoverer of minor planets and comets.[1]

Michel Ory
Born (1966-04-18) 18 April 1966 (age 58)
NationalitySwiss
Occupation(s)amateur astronomer, teacher of physics at the cantonal school Porrentruy
Known fordiscovering minor planets and the periodic comet 304P/Ory

Biography

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Ory was born in Develier, in the district of Delémont in the canton of Jura in Switzerland.[2] He attended school in Delémont, and at the cantonal school in Porrentruy,[3] then studied at the University of Geneva, graduating in physics in 1990.[2] He trained as a scientific journalist at Cedos SA in Carouge, qualifying in 1992, then undertook teacher training at the Institut pédagogique in Porrentruy, qualifying as a secondary school teacher in 1994, then becoming a physics teacher at the cantonal school in Porrentruy,[2] a position which he continues to hold in 2012.[4] Ory is married and has two children.[2]

A keen amateur astronomer, he joined the Jura Astronomical Society in 1990 and between 1993 and 1998 he was one of the seven member-builders of the Jura Astronomical Observatory.[2]

Awards

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He was one of five winners of the 2009 Edgar Wilson Award[5] for his discovery on 27 August 2008 of 304P/Ory (P/2008 Q2 Ory), a periodic comet of the Jupiter family,[6] using a 24-inch f/3.9 reflector[7] at the Jura Observatory in Switzerland.[2]

In 2018, he was awarded a Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant which will improve the robotic survey he conducts in collaboration with Claudine Rinner at the Oukaïmeden Observatory (J43) in Morocco.[8] He is a teacher of physics at the cantonal school in Porrentruy, Switzerland.[2] The main-belt asteroid 67979 Michelory was named in his honor.[9]

In 2020, he and Claudine Rinner jointly received the Dorothea Klumpke - Isaac Roberts prize from the Société astronomique de France.[10]

Discoveries

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Minor planets discovered: 210 [1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

During 2000–2010, Michel Ory has made a large number of discoveries of different astronomical objects at several observatory sites.[2] As per 2016, he is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 199 numbered minor planets he made during 2001–2010.[1]

At the Jura Observatory, located in Vicques, Switzerland, he made his most famous discovery, 304P/Ory, a periodic comet of the Jupiter family,[11] and also discovered over 234 asteroids (including unnumbered bodies) and two supernovae.[2] Ory also made discoveries at two other observatory sites in the U.S., namely at Tenagra II Observatory (926), Arizona, and at Sierra Stars Observatory (G68), California, from where he discovered another 11 and 2 asteroids, respectively.[2]

Comet 304P/Ory

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It was on the nights of 26–27 and 27–28 August 2008 that Ory discovered what he thought was a near-Earth asteroid,[12] which he reported to the Minor Planet Center, Harvard.[2] At around 8:08 p.m. on 28 August he received notification from the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) that the object was in fact a periodic comet: the announcement ran, "An apparently asteroidal object discovered by Michel Ory (Delemont, Switzerland, on CCD images obtained with a 0.61-m f/3.9 reflector at Vicques; discovery observation tabulated below), which was posted on the Minor Planet Center's 'NEOCP' webpage, has been found by other CCD observers to be cometary."[12]

The comet was named 304P/Ory (P/2008 Q2 Ory) after him, and the CBAT announcement brought congratulations from around the world.[2] The comet orbits the sun in an elliptical orbit with a period of 5.96 years.[13]

Ory received the Edgar Wilson Award from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard University,[6] and later in 2008 a square in Viques was named Place de la Comète P/2008 Q2 Ory in honour of his discovery.[14]

List of discovered minor planets

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57658 Nilrem 17 October 2001 list
68718 Safi 17 February 2002 list
84902 Porrentruy 17 October 2003 list
88906 Moutier 11 October 2001 list
95771 Lachat 9 March 2003 list
99824 Polnareff 29 June 2002 list
113415 Rauracia 30 September 2002 list
115950 Kocherpeter 18 November 2003 list
117736 Sherrod 4 April 2005 list
125076 Michelmayor 19 October 2001 list
126160 Fabienkuntz 4 January 2002 list
126748 Mariegerbet 16 February 2002 list
(128629) 2004 RS10 7 September 2004 list
129078 Animoo 8 November 2004 list
129137 Hippolochos 13 January 2005 list
(143577) 2003 FG2 23 March 2003 list
143622 Robertbloch 22 April 2003 list
(145456) 2005 SA5 24 September 2005 list
145559 Didiermüller 18 July 2006 list
(145565) 2006 OH10 24 July 2006 list
(152190) 2005 QZ56 29 August 2005 list
(155018) 2005 QK28 28 August 2005 list
157456 Pivatte 17 November 2004 list
162937 Prêtre 12 August 2001 list
(163380) 2002 PN86 13 August 2002 list
(167855) 2005 ET 1 March 2005 list
170162 Nicolashayek 23 March 2003 list
170906 Coluche 9 December 2004 list
170927 Dgebessire 5 January 2005 list
(171376) 2006 OM 17 July 2006 list
(173050) 2006 QU142 31 August 2006 list
173086 Nireus 8 September 2007 list
175208 Vorbourg 1 April 2005 list
175282 Benhida 1 June 2005 list
176532 Boskri 5 January 2002 list
177415 Queloz 9 February 2004 list
(177866) 2005 QL28 28 August 2005 list
179764 Myriamsarah 16 September 2002 list
180643 Cardoen 14 April 2004 list
183114 Vicques 13 September 2002 list
184508 Courroux 10 August 2005 list
187123 Schorderet 30 August 2005 list
188446 Louischevrolet 17 April 2004 list
(188506) 2004 RR1 5 September 2004 list
(191672) 2004 RT10 7 September 2004 list
197864 Florentpagny 5 September 2004 list
197870 Erkman 6 September 2004 list
(198920) 2005 UP158 30 October 2005 list
199838 Hafili 11 March 2007 list
(200058) 2008 QA4 24 August 2008 list
204702 Péquignat 19 March 2006 list
207109 Stürmenchopf 11 January 2005 list
(209675) 2005 DF1 28 February 2005 list
(210436) 2008 YZ29 29 December 2008 list
210997 Guenat 14 December 2001 list
211613 Christophelovis 25 October 2003 list
212374 Vellerat 21 April 2006 list
213770 Fignon 23 February 2003 list
214081 Balavoine 17 April 2004 list
214136 Alinghi 13 January 2005 list
214378 Kleinmann 10 June 2005 list
(214432) 2005 QA57 29 August 2005 list
218268 Pierremariepelé 20 February 2003 list
(218610) 2005 OK15 30 July 2005 list
223566 Petignat 22 March 2004 list
224027 Grégoire 10 June 2005 list
(224131) 2005 QO28 28 August 2005 list
224206 Pietchisson 21 September 2005 list
227065 Romandia 1 April 2005 list
(227147) 2005 PW5 10 August 2005 list
(227583) 2006 AU2 5 January 2006 list
(227928) 2007 GT1 6 April 2007 list
(227929) 2007 GT4 11 April 2007 list
(228057) 2008 JA20 6 May 2008 list
(229352) 2005 QB57 29 August 2005 list
(229497) 2005 VW4 6 November 2005 list
(229684) 2007 DQ11 20 February 2007 list
(229722) 2007 GE 6 April 2007 list
230155 Francksallet 26 August 2001 list
230975 Rogerfederer 10 January 2005 list
(231487) 2008 PQ3 3 August 2008 list
233488 Cosandey 16 December 2006 list
(233585) 2007 RJ18 14 September 2007 list
235027 Pommard 23 March 2003 list
(236808) 2007 RX12 11 September 2007 list
238593 Paysdegex 4 January 2005 list
238817 Titeuf 10 August 2005 list
240871 MOSS 19 February 2006 list
241364 Reneangelil 7 January 2008 list
242492 Fantomas 10 November 2004 list
242516 Lindseystirling 4 January 2005 list
242529 Hilaomar 13 January 2005 list
(246803) 2009 FB1 17 March 2009 list
248183 Peisandros 13 January 2005 list
(248748) 2006 RN 1 September 2006 list
(248951) 2006 XA4 13 December 2006 list
249302 Ajoie 26 October 2008 list
(255592) 2006 OG10 24 July 2006 list
(257156) 2008 HO37 29 April 2008 list
(257251) 2009 FG25 22 March 2009 list
259905 Vougeot 14 March 2004 list
260906 Robichon 1 September 2005 list
262705 Vosne-Romanee 14 December 2006 list
(262910) 2007 CL51 15 February 2007 list
(264021) 2009 QB2 17 August 2009 list
272209 Corsica 28 August 2005 list
275962 Chalverat 21 November 2001 list
276781 Montchaibeux 11 May 2004 list
(278211) 2007 EX38 11 March 2007 list
(278283) 2007 GO27 15 April 2007 list
(278303) 2007 HY 17 April 2007 list
280640 Ruetsch 4 January 2005 list
280642 Doubs 13 January 2005 list
(281287) 2007 RD133 15 September 2007 list
282669 Erguël 6 November 2005 list
(283073) 2008 SP81 21 September 2008 list
284945 Saint-Imier 14 March 2010 list
(289317) 2005 AE28 13 January 2005 list
(289318) 2005 AF28 13 January 2005 list
289586 Shackleton 30 March 2005 list
289587 Chantdugros 30 March 2005 list
290001 Uebersax 10 August 2005 list
(290030) 2005 QP28 28 August 2005 list
(290055) 2005 QF57 30 August 2005 list
(291422) 2006 DN14 21 February 2006 list
291847 Ladoix 19 July 2006 list
(294543) 2007 YN2 18 December 2007 list
(295474) 2008 QB18 28 August 2008 list
(296551) 2009 QY1 16 August 2009 list
(296820) 2009 WT7 18 November 2009 list
297026 Corton 7 April 2010 list
299020 Chennaoui 5 January 2005 list
(301128) 2008 WV96 28 November 2008 list
(301413) 2009 DN46 27 February 2009 list
(301552) 2009 GA3 14 April 2009 list
305254 Moron 19 December 2007 list
(305776) 2009 DE46 27 February 2009 list
309917 Sefyani 20 March 2009 list
(312014) 2007 RH18 13 September 2007 list
(312542) 2009 FC1 17 March 2009 list
(312563) 2009 HO2 18 April 2009 list
313921 Daassou 5 September 2004 list
314040 Tavannes 4 January 2005 list
(316016) 2009 FO21 22 March 2009 list
(316039) 2009 GB3 14 April 2009 list
316080 Boni 16 May 2009 list
318412 Tramelan 11 January 2005 list
318676 Bellelay 10 August 2005 list
320065 Erbaghjolu 11 March 2007 list
(321404) 2009 QP 16 August 2009 list
(321410) 2009 QD6 18 August 2009 list
(324287) 2006 DO 20 February 2006 list
(325442) 2009 QZ1 17 August 2009 list
327082 Tournesol 10 November 2004 list
327632 Ferrarini 24 July 2006 list
(328370) 2008 QY17 27 August 2008 list
329935 Prévôt 30 July 2005 list
(330380) 2006 XJ4 14 December 2006 list
331992 Chasseral 3 April 2005 list
(333607) 2007 LY 9 June 2007 list
(335725) 2007 DP11 20 February 2007 list
336108 Luberon 2 May 2008 list
336203 Sandrobuss 22 September 2008 list
(336604) 2009 UL5 18 October 2009 list
(336605) 2009 UM5 20 October 2009 list
337380 Lenormand 17 August 2001 list
339486 Raimeux 3 April 2005 list
(339635) 2005 QR28 29 August 2005 list
(345879) 2007 RW12 11 September 2007 list
(346293) 2008 PG3 4 August 2008 list
349606 Fleurance 26 October 2008 list
352860 Monflier 30 November 2008 list
(353114) 2009 FR14 20 March 2009 list
(353116) 2009 FL19 21 March 2009 list
(362176) 2009 FP21 22 March 2009 list
362238 Shisseh 19 May 2009 list
363582 Folpotat 9 February 2004 list
368588 Lazrek 8 September 2004 list
372305 Bourdeille 20 November 2008 list
375067 Hewins 6 September 2007 list
378669 Rivas 29 April 2008 list
(381433) 2008 PJ18 10 August 2008 list
(385633) 2005 QD57 29 August 2005 list
394445 Unst 11 September 2007 list
399745 Ouchaou 3 April 2005 list
(402852) 2007 RE12 9 September 2007 list
(406352) 2007 RC162 15 September 2007 list
(406737) 2008 HP2 25 April 2008 list
(414283) 2008 MW4 30 June 2008 list
418419 Lacanto 28 June 2008 list
419521 Meursault 7 May 2010 list
423205 Echezeaux 5 September 2004 list
(423207) 2004 RA8 6 September 2004 list
(423269) 2004 VX28 8 November 2004 list
(428092) 2006 QO4 18 August 2006 list
(428499) 2007 WZ3 17 November 2007 list
(435549) 2008 QZ3 24 August 2008 list
(445143) 2008 WX94 26 November 2008 list
450390 Pitchcomment 8 August 2005 list
469748 Volnay 9 August 2005 list
(469758) 2005 QQ28 28 August 2005 list
470600 Calogero 6 August 2008 list
481984 Cernunnos 20 May 2009 list
(495845) 2002 PP123 15 August 2002 list
(542180) 2013 AS29 8 January 2013 list
(542245) 2013 AP131 7 January 2013 list
(542307) 2013 BX68 10 January 2013 list
542888 Confino 10 June 2013 list
(543081) 2013 SC26 15 August 2013 list
543315 Asmakhammari 10 December 2013 list
(544892) 2014 WV475 3 July 2013 list

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Emma Chatelain; Philippe Hebeisen (5 November 2010). "Ory, Michel (1966-)". Dictionnaire du Jura. Retrieved 20 Sep 2012.
  3. ^ "Anciens bacheliers". Lycee Cantonal Porrentruy. Retrieved 21 Sep 2012.
  4. ^ Memento 12-13 élèves (PDF), CEJEF Division Lycéenne Lycée Cantonal, 16 August 2012, p. 13, archived from the original (PDF) on 9 November 2012, retrieved 21 Sep 2012
  5. ^ Holmes, R. E. (August 2009). Green, D. W. E. (ed.). "The Edgar Wilson Award 2009". IAU Circ. 9066: 2. Bibcode:2009IAUC.9066....2H. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  6. ^ a b CfA Press Room (25 August 2009). "2009 Comet Awards Announced". Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Retrieved 19 Sep 2012.
  7. ^ "Five Amateurs Win Comet Prize - News from Sky & Telescope - SkyandTelescope.com". skyandtelescope.com. 21 Sep 2012. Retrieved 21 Sep 2012.
  8. ^ "The 2018 Shoemaker NEO Grant Recipients". The Planetary Society. March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  9. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(67979) Michelory [3.12, 0.03, 13.0]". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 226. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34361-5_2686. ISBN 978-3-540-34361-5.
  10. ^ “Les distinctions de la Société astronomique de France”, Société astronomique de France, consulted on 6 December 2020.
  11. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 304P/Ory (2008 Q2)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  12. ^ a b Michel Ory (15 September 2008). "Une comète découverte dans le Jura – Michel Ory ou la révolution " P/2008 Q2 Ory "". Société jurassienne d'Emulation. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 19 Sep 2012.
  13. ^ "La comète P/2008 Q2 (Ory)". Jura-Observatory [Observatoire astronomique jurassien]. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 22 Sep 2012.
  14. ^ "La comète Ory s'est posée à Vicques". RFJ, Radio Fréquence Jura. 13 December 2008. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 22 Sep 2012.
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