Piero Sicoli (born 1954) is an Italian astronomer and discoverer of minor planets, observing at the Italian Sormano Astronomical Observatory.He deals with the history of comets, astrometry and orbit calculations, in particular of objects approaching the Earth. As the observatory's coordinator, he is responsible for close encounters computation of near-Earth objects (NEOs), orbit computations, and identification of asteroids (about one thousand, included 17 NEOs). The Observatory's focus is the examination and tracking of NEOs in Solar System.
The main-belt asteroid 7866 Sicoli, discovered by Edward Bowell at Anderson Mesa Station in 1982, is named in his honor.
+ Minor planets discovered: 43 see
List of discovered minor planets
6882 Sormano 5 February 1995 8106 Carpino 23 December 1994 8208 Volta 28 February 1995 8209 Toscanelli 28 February 1995 8935 Beccaria 11 January 1997 9111 Matarazzo 28 January 1997 9115 Battisti 27 February 1997 10387 Bepicolombo 18 October 1996 11145 Emanuelli 29 August 1997 11652 Johnbrownlee 7 February 1997 11970 Palitzsch 4 October 1994 12410 Donald Duck 26 September 1995 13158 Carcano 17 October 1995 14024 Procol Harum 9 September 1994 14103 Manzoni 1 October 1997 15379 Alefranz 29 August 1997 16749 Vospini 16 August 1996 27 October 1995 18556 Battiato 7 February 1997 19398 Creedence 2 March 1998 22500 Grazianoventre 26 July 1997 26197 Bormio 31 March 1997 31244 Guidomonzino 19 February 1998 32931 Ferioli 26 September 1995 32944 Gussalli 19 November 1995 25 October 1997 35316 Monella 11 January 1997 35334 Yarkovsky 31 March 1997 39653 Carnera 17 October 1995 43956 Elidoro 7 February 1997 43957 Invernizzi 7 February 1997 43993 Mariola 26 July 1997 46691 Ghezzi 30 January 1997 48640 Eziobosso 17 October 1995 48643 Allen-Beach 20 October 1995 55810 Fabiofazio 4 October 1994 59087 Maccacaro 15 November 1998 28 January 1998 69961 Millosevich 15 November 1998 15 November 1998 15 February 1996 17 October 1995 15 September 1998 Co-discovery made with: V. Giuliani M. Cavagna P. Ghezzi F. Manca P. Chiavenna A. Testa
Publications "The orbit of (944) Hidalgo", British Astron. Assoc. Jnl., (1990, M. Cavagna, P. Sicoli) "Future Earth Approaches of (4179) Toutatis", Minor Planet Bulletin, (1992, M. Cavagna, P. Sicoli) "Earth Close Approaches of Minor Planet (7482) 1994 PC1", Minor Planet Bulletin, (1997, P. Sicoli) "Asteroid and Planet Close Encounters", Minor Planet Bulletin, (1999, F. Manca, P. Sicoli) "Monitoring Hazardous Objects", Proceedings of the Third Italian Meeting of Planetary Science, (2000, F. Manca, P. Sicoli) "Giuseppe Piazzi and the Discovery of Ceres", Asteroids III, (2002, G. Fodera' Serio, A. Manara, P. Sicoli) "Planetary Close Encounters", Proceedings of the Fourth Italian Meeting of Planetary Science, (2002, F. Manca, P. Sicoli) "Killed by a meteorite?", Mercury, (2003, P. Sicoli, C.J. Cunningham) "Identification of asteroids and comets: methods and results", Proceedings of the X National Conference on Planetary Science. (2011, F. Manca, P. Sicoli, and A. Testa) "Comets and Political anxieties in the first half of the Ninth Century: New Light on Comets X/839 B1 and X/841 Y1". Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 25(2), 213–226 (2022, P. Sicoli, M. Cesario, R. Gorelli) "New and improved orbits of historical comets: Late 4th and 5th century" ICARUS Volume 384, 15 September 2022, 115112 (M.J. Martínez, F.J. Marco, P. Sicoli, R. Gorelli) "Did 1P/ Halley have an outburst in 990 AD?". THE COMET’S TALE Comet Section – British Astronomical Association, Journal – Number 41 2022 June (P. Sicoli, R. Gorelli) "Medieval Comets European and Middle Eastern Perspective". Universitat Politècnica de València. (2023, P. Sicoli, R. Gorelli, M.J. Martínez Uso, F.J. Marco) https://doi.org/10.4995/SCCIE.2023.666301 "New and improved orbits of some historical comets: 6TH and 7TH centuries". ICARUS Volume 420, 15 September 2024, 116165 (P. Sicoli, R. Gorelli, M.J. Martínez, F.J. Marco) "Comete nell'Italia antica e medievale" Book Edit. LED Bibliotheca (2024, P. Sicoli)
References