Taiwan Today

Amateur astronomer Tsai Yuan-sheng has discovered a new minor planet, the 12th found by astronomers in Taiwan, which he named “Kaohsiung.” The 40-year-old Tsai has been observing the skies for more than 20 years. When National Central University’s Lulin Observatory this year approved his proposal to search for new celestial bodies, he formed a small team with other amateur astronomers to share the work of photography, comparison and calculation of orbits. In early March Tsai detected a minor planet with a brightness of magnitude 19 near the constellation Virgo, which he reported to the Minor Planet Center under the International Astronomical Union. The MPC confirmed it as a newly discovered minor planet, assigning it the permanent designation number 215080. As the discoverer has the right to name a new body, Tsai said he chose “Kaohsiung,” as he was born there and the city shone this year as host of the World Games. Minor planet “Kaohsiung” requires 4.65 years to orbit the earth. At its closest point to the earth it is roughly 200 million kilometers away, and 350 million kilometers away at its furthest. At the moment it is in the vicinity of the constellation Libra. Tsai presented a model of the minor planet to the citizens of Kaohsiung Oct. 19. Upon accepting the model, Mayor Chen Chu said happily, “It’s very exciting that ‘Kaohsiung’ has a place in the universe.” She has directed the city’s Bureau of Education to continue to provide funds for education in astronomy. When Kaohsiung City and County are merged, perhaps they will build a large-scale planetarium so children will know that among all the stars in the sky, one is a minor planet called “Kaohsiung.” Of the new minor planets discovered by Taiwanese, most are named after places, including “Yushan,” “Lulin,” “Chiayi” and “Nantou,” while some have been given the names of people, such as “Wensayling,” after the late vice chairman of Inventec Corp., Wen Say-ling, and “Shenchunshan,” for the former president of National Tsing Hua University, Shen Chun-shan. (THN)