Michel Ory

Michel Ory
Born (1966-04-18) 18 April 1966
Develier, Switzerland
Nationality Swiss
Occupation Amateur Astronomer, Teacher of Physics at the cantonal school Porrentruy
Known for discovering the periodic comet P/2008 Q2 Ory

Michel Ory (born 18 April 1966) is a Swiss amateur astronomer who was one of five winners of the 2009 Edgar Wilson Award for his discovery of periodic comet P/2008 Q2 Ory on 27 August 2008[1] with the 24-inch f/3.9 reflector[2] at the Jura Astronomical Observatory in Switzerland.[3] He is a teacher of physics at the cantonal school in Porrentruy, Switzerland.[3]

Biography

Ory was born in Develier, in the district of Delémont in the canton of Jura in Switzerland.[3] He attended school in Delémont, and at the cantonal school in Porrentruy,[4] then studied at the University of Geneva, graduating in physics in 1990.[3] 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,[3] a position which he continues to hold in 2012.[5]

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.[3]

Discovery of periodic comet P/2008 Q2 Ory

It was on the nights of 26–27 and 27–28 August 2008 that Ory discovered what he thought was a near-earth asteroid,[6] which he reported to the Minor Planet Center (MPC), Harvard.[3] At around 8:08 p.m. on August 28 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."[6]

The comet was named P/2008 Q2 Ory after him, and the CBAT announcement brought congratulations from around the world.[3] The comet orbits the sun in an elliptical orbit with a period of 5.96 years.[7]

Ory received the Edgar Wilson Award from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard University,[1] and later in 2008 a square in Viques was named Place de la Comète P/2008 Q2 Ory in honour of his discovery.[8]

Discoveries during 2000–2010

Michel Ory has made the following astronomical discoveries:[3]

Personal life

Ory is married and has two children.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 CfA Press Room (25 August 2009). "2009 Comet Awards Announced". Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Retrieved 19 Sep 2012.
  2. ↑ "Five Amateurs Win Comet Prize - News from Sky & Telescope - SkyandTelescope.com". skyandtelescope.com. 21 Sep 2012. Retrieved 21 Sep 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Emma Chatelain; Philippe Hebeisen (5 November 2010). "Ory, Michel (1966-)". Dictionnaire du Jura. Retrieved 20 Sep 2012.
  4. ↑ "Anciens bacheliers". Lycee Cantonal Porrentruy. Retrieved 21 Sep 2012.
  5. ↑ "Memento 12-13 élèves" (PDF). CEJEF Division Lycéenne Lycée Cantonal. 16 August 2012: 13. Retrieved 21 Sep 2012.
  6. 1 2 Michel Ory (15 September 2008). "Une comète découverte dans le Jura – Michel Ory ou la révolution « P/2008 Q2 Ory »". Société jurassienne d'Emulation. Retrieved 19 Sep 2012.
  7. ↑ "La comète P/2008 Q2 (Ory)". Jura-Observatory [Observatoire astronomique jurassien]. Retrieved 22 Sep 2012.
  8. ↑ "La comète Ory s'est posée à Vicques". RFJ, Radio Fréquence Jura. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 22 Sep 2012.

External links

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