Scott S. Sheppard

Scott S. Sheppard, born on February nineteenth, nineteen seventy-seven, is a prominent American astronomer renowned for his significant contributions to the field of astronomy, particularly in the discovery of numerous moons, comets, and minor planets within the outer Solar System.

Currently, he serves as an astronomer in the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution for Science located in Washington, DC. His academic journey began at Oberlin College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physics with honors in nineteen ninety-eight. He then pursued graduate studies at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he made remarkable discoveries.

Among his notable achievements are the discoveries of many small moons orbiting Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. He was the first to identify the trailing Neptune trojan, two thousand eight LC18, as well as the first named leading Neptune trojan, three hundred eighty-five thousand five hundred seventy-one Otrera, and the first high inclination Neptune trojan, two thousand five TN53. These findings revealed that Neptune trojan objects predominantly follow highly inclined orbits, suggesting they are likely captured small bodies from other regions of the Solar System.

In recognition of his contributions, the main-belt asteroid seventeen thousand eight hundred ninety-eight Scottsheppard, discovered by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa Station in nineteen ninety-nine, was named in his honor, solidifying his legacy in the astronomical community.