Roy A. Tucker

+ Minor planets discovered: 713 see

Roy Anthony Tucker (December 11, 1951 – March 5, 2021) was an American astronomer best known for the co-discovery of near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis (formerly known as ) along with David J. Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi of the University of Hawaiʻi. He was a prolific discoverer of minor planets, credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 702 numbered minor planets between 1996 and 2010. He also discovered two comets: 328P/LONEOS–Tucker and C/2004 Q1, a Jupiter-family and near-parabolic comet, respectively.

Biography Tucker was born in Jackson, Mississippi and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1966, he became a member of Memphis Astronomical Society and received a master's degree in Scientific Instrumentation from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He worked as a senior engineer in the Imaging Technology Laboratory of the University of Arizona and as an instrumentalist at Kitt Peak National Observatory. He observed and discovered minor planets at his private Goodricke-Pigott Observatory in southern Arizona.

Death Tucker died on March 5, 2021, due to pancreatic cancer.

Recognition In 2002, he was one of five researchers awarded a "Gene Shoemaker Near Earth Object Grant", by the Planetary Society.

The main-belt asteroid 10914 Tucker, discovered by Paul Comba in 1997, was named in his honor.

List of discovered minor planets

10220 Pigott 20 October 1997 14542 Karitskaya 29 September 1997 16783 Bychkov 14 December 1996 16861 Lipovetsky 27 December 1997 17025 Pilachowski 13 March 1999 17941 Horbatt 6 May 1999 21523 GONG 26 June 1998 21811 Burroughs 5 October 1999 23884 Karenharvey 20 September 1998 24259 Chriswalker 12 December 1999 25275 Jocelynbell 14 November 1998 26924 Johnharvey 30 December 1996 27049 Kraus 18 September 1998 28341 Bingaman 13 March 1999 29825 Dunyazade 20 February 1999 29874 Rogerculver 14 April 1999 31086 Gehringer 12 January 1997 31098 Frankhill 9 June 1997 31190 Toussaint 27 December 1997 31556 Shatner 13 March 1999 31557 Holleybakich 13 March 1999 32608 Hallas 24 August 2001 32621 Talcott 8 September 2001 33103 Pintar 27 December 1997 34791 Ericcraine 18 September 2001 35734 Dilithium 14 April 1999 39741 Komm 9 January 1997 23 September 1998 40248 Yukikajiura 12 December 1998 40775 Kalafina 5 October 1999 40776 Yeungkwongyu 7 October 1999 41199 Wakanaootaki 21 November 1999 42271 Keikokubota 24 August 2001 44027 Termain 2 January 1998 44455 Artdula 7 November 1998 44475 Hikarumasai 16 November 1998 47466 Mayatoyoshima 31 December 1999 49272 Bryce Canyon 27 October 1998 49382 Lynnokamoto 12 December 1998 51985 Kirby 22 September 2001 52649 Chrismith 27 December 1997 53237 Simonson 9 February 1999 53250 Beucher 20 February 1999 53253 Zeiler 13 March 1999 54563 Kinokonasu 31 August 2000 55108 Beamueller 24 August 2001 55212 Yukitoayatsuji 12 September 2001 55222 Makotoshinkai 12 September 2001 55223 Akiraifukube 12 September 2001 55319 Takanashi 18 September 2001 55320 Busler 19 September 2001 55397 Hackman 22 September 2001 55559 Briancraine 18 December 2001 24 August 2001 19 September 2001 22 September 2001 23 September 2001 25 September 2001 25 September 2001 11 October 2001 11 October 2001 15 October 2001 5 July 2000 21 May 2001 18 September 2001 19 September 2001 22 September 2001 12 November 2001 21 November 1998 13 March 1999 23 September 2001 7 March 2003 18 September 1998 6 June 1999 5 October 1999 7 October 1999 13 November 1999 21 May 2001 21 September 1998 7 October 1999 16 May 2001 7 September 2001 16 June 2002 13 September 2002 13 September 2002 18 September 2003 9 November 1997 26 November 1998 20 February 1999 13 March 1999 27 August 2001 9 September 2001 17 September 2001 18 September 2001 83464 Irishmccalla 19 September 2001 13 October 2001 11 January 2003 15 November 2003 85585 Mjolnir 21 March 1998 7 October 1999 7 October 1999 24 August 2001 25 August 2001 25 August 2001 24 August 2001 9 September 2001 10 September 2001 8 November 2001 11 November 2001 90455 Irenehernandez 12 February 2004 13 February 2004 91275 Billsmith 13 March 1999 91607 Delaboudiniere 5 October 1999 12 January 2002 6 February 2002 7 March 2003 14 December 1996 19 January 1998 24 September 1998 30 October 1998 99942 Apophis 19 June 2004 101383 Karloff 30 October 1998 101432 Adamwest 14 November 1998 101713 Marston 20 February 1999 101723 Finger 13 March 1999 101781 Gojira 14 April 1999 14 May 1999 5 October 1999 108496 Sullenberger 21 May 2001 109330 Clemente 24 August 2001 24 August 2001 22 August 2001 109712 Giger 12 September 2001 110026 Hamill 17 September 2001 23 September 2001 25 September 2001 25 September 2001 110404 Itoemi 11 October 2001 110405 Itoyumi 12 October 2001 110408 Nakajima 13 October 2001 11 October 2001 113333 Tyler 13 September 2002 28 September 2002 113461 McCay 30 September 2002 17 September 2003 18 September 2003 25 October 2003 25 October 2003 23 October 2003 22 October 2003 22 October 2003 21 October 2003 16 October 2003 20 October 2003 18 November 2003 4 October 2004 6 January 2005 1 March 2005 117582 Kenjikawai 7 March 2005 119248 Corbally 10 September 2001 119846 Goshiina 6 February 2002 121121 Koyoharugotoge 19 April 1999 121133 Kenflurchick 15 May 1999 124114 Bergersen 21 April 2001 124368 Nickphoenix 24 August 2001 124398 Iraklisimonia 22 August 2001 25 August 2001 17 September 2001 18 September 2001 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