Scott S. Sheppard

Scott Sander Sheppard, born in 1977, is an American astronomer. He has discovered many moons, comets, and minor planets in the outer Solar System. He works at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC. He studied physics at Oberlin College and graduated with honors in 1998.

Sheppard started his work as a graduate student at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. There, he found many small moons around the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. His discoveries include the first known trailing Neptune trojan, named 2008 LC18. These discoveries helped scientists learn more about the orbits of objects near Neptune.

An asteroid in the main belt, named 17898 Scottsheppard, was discovered in 1999 in honor of his work in astronomy.

Discoveries

Scott Sheppard helped find faraway objects in our Solar System. In 2014, he and Trujillo suggested that a big planet, maybe like a Super-Earth, might be far out beyond 200 AU, moving smaller objects into similar paths. In 2018, Sheppard found 541132 Leleākūhonua, a faraway object nicknamed "The Goblin". This added more support to the idea that a big planet might exist far from the Sun.

Most notable discoveries

Sheppard has helped find many small objects in our Solar System, like trans-Neptunian objects, centaurs, comets and near-Earth objects.

Three comets are named after him: Sheppard-Trujillo (C/2014 F3), Sheppard-Tholen (C/2015 T5) and comet Trujillo-Sheppard (P/2018 V5).
The possible dwarf planets he helped find are 471143 Dziewanna, 2010 KZ39, 2010 FX86, 532037 Chiminigagua, (523671) 2013 FZ27 and 2015 KH162.
In 2018, Sheppard found the farthest known object, dwarf planet 2018 VG18 (nicknamed Farout), about 120 AU from the Sun.
He found a minor-planet moon around Chiminigagua.
He helped find a minor-planet moon around the binary trans-Neptunian object 341520 Mors–Somnus.
He has helped find many irregular moons of big planets:

Jupiter

Discovered moons of Jupiter (full list):

Themisto (2000)
Harpalyke (2000)
Praxidike (2000)
Chaldene (2000)
Isonoe (2000)
Erinome (2000)
Taygete (2000)
Kalyke (2000)
Megaclite (2000)
Iocaste (2000)
Dia (2000)
Euporie (2001)
Orthosie (2001)
Euanthe (2001)
Thyone (2001)
Hermippe (2001)
Pasithee (2001)
Aitne (2001)
Eurydome (2001)
Autonoe (2001)
Sponde (2001)
Kale (2001)
Arche (2002)
Eukelade (2003)
Helike (2003)
Aoede (2003)
Hegemone (2003)
Kallichore (2003)
Cyllene (2003)
Mneme (2003)
Thelxinoe (2003)
Carpo (2003)
Kore (2003)
Herse (2003)
S/2003 J 2 (2003)
Eupheme (2003)
S/2003 J 4 (2003)
Eirene (2003)
S/2003 J 9 (2003)
S/2003 J 10 (2003)
S/2003 J 12 (2003)
Philophrosyne (2003)
S/2003 J 16 (2003)
Jupiter LV (2003)
Jupiter LXI (2003)
S/2003 J 23 (2003)
S/2003 J 24 (2003)
S/2010 J 3 (2010)
S/2010 J 4 (2010)
S/2010 J 6 (2010)
Jupiter LXXII (2011)
Jupiter LVI (2011)
S/2011 J 3 (2011)
S/2011 J 4 (2011)
S/2011 J 5 (2011)
S/2011 J 6 (2011)
Jupiter LIV (2016)
Valetudo (2016)
S/2016 J 3 (2016)
S/2016 J 4 (2016)
Jupiter LIX (2017)
Jupiter LXIII (2017)
Jupiter LXIV (2017)
Pandia (2017)
Jupiter LXVI (2017)
Jupiter LXVII (2017)
Jupiter LXVIII (2017)
Jupiter LXIX (2017)
Jupiter LXX (2017)
S/2017 J 10 (2017)
S/2017 J 11 (2017)
S/2017 J 12 (2017)
S/2017 J 13 (2017)
S/2017 J 14 (2017)
S/2017 J 15 (2017)
S/2017 J 16 (2017)
S/2017 J 17 (2017)
S/2017 J 18 (2017)
Ersa (2018)
S/2018 J 2 (2018)
S/2018 J 3 (2018)
S/2018 J 4 (2018)
S/2018 J 5 (2018)
S/2021 J 1 (2021)
S/2021 J 2 (2021)
S/2021 J 3 (2021)
S/2021 J 4 (2021)
S/2021 J 5 (2021)
S/2021 J 6 (2021)
S/2021 J 7 (2021)
S/2021 J 8 (2021)
S/2022 J 1 (2022)
S/2022 J 2 (2022)
S/2022 J 3 (2022)
S/2024 J 1 (2024)

Saturn

Discovered moons of Saturn (full list):

Narvi (2003)
Fornjot (2004)
Farbauti (2004)
Aegir (2004)
Bebhionn (2004)
Hati (2004)
Bergelmir (2004)
Fenrir (2004)
Bestla (2004)
S/2004 S 7 (2004)
S/2004 S 12 (2004)
S/2004 S 13 (2004)
S/2004 S 17 (2004)
Hyrrokkin (2004)
Gridr (2004)
S/2004 S 21 (2004)
Angrboda (2004)
Skrymir (2004)
S/2004 S 24 (2004)
Gerd (2004)
Saturn LVIII (2004)
Eggther (2004)
S/2004 S 28 (2004)
Saturn LX (2004)
Beli (2004)
S/2004 S 31 (2004)
Gunnlod (2004)
Thiazzi (2004)
Saturn LXIV (2004)
Alvaldi (2004)
S/2004 S 36 (2004)
S/2004 S 37 (2004)
Geirrod (2004)
S/2004 S 39 (2004)
S/2004 S 40 (2004)
S/2004 S 41 (2004)
S/2004 S 42 (2004)
S/2004 S 43 (2004)
S/2004 S 44 (2004)
S/2004 S 45 (2004)
S/2004 S 46 (2004)
S/2004 S 47 (2004)
S/2004 S 48 (2004)
S/2004 S 49 (2004)
S/2004 S 50 (2004)
S/2004 S 51 (2004)
S/2004 S 52 (2004)
S/2004 S 53 (2004)
S/2004 S 54 (2004)
S/2004 S 55 (2004)
S/2004 S 56 (2004)
S/2004 S 57 (2004)
S/2004 S 58 (2004)
S/2004 S 59 (2004)
S/2004 S 60 (2004)
S/2004 S 61 (2004)
S/2005 S 4 (2005)
S/2005 S 5 (2005)
S/2005 S 6 (2005)
S/2005 S 7 (2005)
Kari (2006)
Loge (2006)
Surtur (2006)
Skoll (2006)
Greip (2006)
Jarnsaxa (2006)
S/2006 S 1 (2006)
S/2006 S 3 (2006)
S/2006 S 9 (2006)
S/2006 S 10 (2006)
S/2006 S 11 (2006)
S/2006 S 12 (2006)
S/2006 S 13 (2006)
S/2006 S 14 (2006)
S/2006 S 15 (2006)
S/2006 S 16 (2006)
S/2006 S 17 (2006)
S/2006 S 18 (2006)
S/2006 S 19 (2006)
S/2006 S 20 (2006)
S/2006 S 21 (2006)
S/2006 S 22 (2006)
S/2006 S 23 (2006)
S/2006 S 24 (2006)
S/2006 S 25 (2006)
S/2006 S 26 (2006)
S/2006 S 27 (2006)
S/2006 S 28 (2006)
S/2006 S 29 (2006)
Tarqeq (2007)
S/2007 S 2 (2007)
S/2007 S 3 (2007)
S/2007 S 5 (2007)
S/2007 S 6 (2007)
S/2007 S 7 (2007)
S/2007 S 8 (2007)
S/2007 S 9 (2007)
S/2007 S 10 (2007)
S/2007 S 11 (2007)
S/2019 S 3 (2019)
S/2019 S 9 (2019)
S/2019 S 11 (2019)
S/2019 S 17 (2019)
S/2019 S 18 (2019)
S/2019 S 21 (2019)
S/2019 S 24 (2019)
S/2019 S 25 (2019)
S/2019 S 27 (2019)
S/2019 S 29 (2019)
S/2019 S 31 (2019)
S/2019 S 33 (2019)
S/2019 S 34 (2019)
S/2019 S 40 (2019)
S/2019 S 42 (2019)
S/2019 S 43 (2019)
S/2020 S 1 (2020)
S/2020 S 8 (2020)
S/2020 S 26 (2020)
S/2020 S 27 (2020)

Uranus

Discovered moons of Uranus (full list):

Margaret (2003)
Ferdinand (2003)
S/2023 U 1 (2023)

Neptune

Discovered moons of Neptune (full list):

Psamathe (2003)
S/2002 N 5 (2021)
S/2021 N 1 (2021)

Minor planets discovered: 23
(79978) 1999 CC158	15 February 1999	list^[A]^[B]^[C]
(131695) 2001 XS₂₅₄	9 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
(131696) 2001 XT254	9 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
(131697) 2001 XH255	11 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
(148975) 2001 XA255	9 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
(168700) 2000 GE₁₄₇	2 April 2000	list^[B]^[C]
(200840) 2001 XN₂₅₄	9 December 2001	list
341520 Mors–Somnus	14 October 2007	list^[C]
385571 Otrera	16 October 2004	list^[C]
385695 Clete	8 October 2005	list^[C]
(469420) 2001 XP₂₅₄	10 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
(469421) 2001 XD₂₅₅	9 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
471143 Dziewanna	13 March 2010	list^[C]^[E]^[F]
(471165) 2010 HE₇₉	21 April 2010	list^[C]^[E]^[G]
(471921) 2013 FC₂₈	17 March 2013	list^[C]
(508792) 2000 FX₅₃	31 March 2000	list^[B]^[C]
(523671) 2013 FZ₂₇	16 March 2013	list
(523672) 2013 FJ₂₈	16 March 2013	list
(523693) 2014 FT₇₁	24 March 2014	list
(524365) 2001 XQ₂₅₄	10 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
(524366) 2001 XR₂₅₄	10 December 2001	list^[B]^[D]
532037 Chiminigagua	17 March 2013	list^[C]
(532038) 2013 FB₂₈	17 March 2013	list^[C]
541132 Leleākūhonua	13 October 2015	list^[C]^[H]
2021 PH27	13 August 2021	MPC
2022 AP7	13 January 2022	MPC
^A with J. X. Luu ^B with D. C. Jewitt ^C with Chadwick Trujillo ^D with J. T. Kleyna ^E with A. Udalski ^F with M. Kubiak ^G with R. Poleski ^H with D. J. Tholen

Discoveries

Most notable discoveries

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