Paul A. Wiegert
Encyclopedia
Paul Wiegert is a Canadian astronomer
and professor at the University of Western Ontario
, specialising in study of unusual orbits of both observed objects and theorised classes of objects. For example, one early paper considers not-known-to-exist planets orbiting the nearby Alpha Centauri
star system, while later papers extend that case to more general planetary stability in general binary systems (as exoplanet studies are finding increasingly frequently). (This work in particular should be of interest to science fiction
authors inventing universes)
Other areas of work include identifying the orbits of minor planets in the Solar System
, which by virtue of their potential instability could realistically become major threats to civilization when one impacts on Earth again, as they have in the past. Recently, Weigert was involved in the discovery of Earth's first (known) Trojan Asteroid
.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and professor at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, specialising in study of unusual orbits of both observed objects and theorised classes of objects. For example, one early paper considers not-known-to-exist planets orbiting the nearby Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
star system, while later papers extend that case to more general planetary stability in general binary systems (as exoplanet studies are finding increasingly frequently). (This work in particular should be of interest to science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
authors inventing universes)
Other areas of work include identifying the orbits of minor planets in the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, which by virtue of their potential instability could realistically become major threats to civilization when one impacts on Earth again, as they have in the past. Recently, Weigert was involved in the discovery of Earth's first (known) Trojan Asteroid
Trojan asteroid
The Jupiter Trojans, commonly called Trojans or Trojan asteroids, are a large group of objects that share the orbit of the planet Jupiter around the Sun. Relative to Jupiter, each Trojan librates around one of the planet's two Lagrangian points of stability, and , that respectively lie 60° ahead...
.
External links
- Paul Wiegert's home page at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western OntarioThe University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...