James L. Elliot

Elliot was born in 1943 in Columbus, Ohio and received his S.B. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1965 and his Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in 1972. He held a postdoctoral position in Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University, and joined the faculty of Cornell's Astronomy Department in 1977. After he discovered Uranus's rings alongside Edward Dunham and Jessica Mink at Cornell, he returned to MIT in 1978 to serve as Professor of Physics, Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, and Director of the George R. Wallace, Jr. Astrophysical Observatory until his death on March 3, 2011.{{Cite web |title=EAPS, physics professor James Elliot dies at 67 |url=https://news.mit.edu/2011/obit-elliot |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=MIT News {{!}} Massachusetts Institute of Technology |date=March 5, 2011 |language=en}}

There is some debate on whether Elliot, et al. discovered the rings of Uranus, or whether William Herschel made an observation in 1797.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6569849.stm|title=Uranus rings 'were seen in 1700s'|work=BBC News|date=18 April 2007|first=Paul|last=Rincon}} However, scientific consensus seems to support Elliot as the discoverer.{{cite web|title=Did William Herschel Discover The Rings Of Uranus In The 18th Century?|work=Physorg.com|url=http://www.physorg.com/news95949762.html|date=2007| access-date=2007-06-20}}

• Main-belt asteroid 3193 Elliot, discovered by astronomer Edward Bowell at Anderson Mesa Station in 1983, was named in his honor. The official {{MoMP|3193|naming citation}} was published by the Minor Planet Center on 22 June 1986 ({{small|M.P.C. 10848}}).
• The crater Elliot on Pluto is also named in his honor.{{cite web|title=Pluto's Features Receive First Official Names|work=agu.org|date=September 20, 2017|url=https://eos.org/articles/plutos-features-receive-first-official-names|access-date=2017-09-23}}

Elliot is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of seven minor planets, including the trans-Neptunian object {{mpl|(95625) 2002 GX|32}}, which he co-discovered at CTIO in 2002.

|-

| {{mp|(541312) 2011 FU|46}} || 22 May 2001 || {{LoMP|541312|list}} {{ref label|codisc|C|}}

|-

| {{mp|(542458) 2013 CQ|189}} || 22 May 2001 || {{LoMP|542458|list}} {{ref label|codisc|C|}}

|-

| {{mp|(542569) 2013 EG|112}} || 23 May 2001 || {{LoMP|542569|list}} {{ref label|codisc|C|}}

|-

| {{mp|(543629) 2014 OV|131}} || 23 May 2001 || {{LoMP|543629|list}} {{ref label|codisc|C|}}

|-

| {{mp|(544322) 2014 UX|86}} || 24 May 2001 || {{LoMP|544322|list}} {{ref label|codisc|C|}}

|-

| {{mp|(545532) 2011 PL|9}} || 23 May 2001 || {{LoMP|545532|list}} {{ref label|codisc|C|}}

|-

! colspan=3 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left; padding: 4px 12px;" |Co-discovery made with:
{{note label|codisc|A|}} M. W. Buie
{{note label|codisc|B|}} A. B. Jordan
{{note label|codisc|C|}} L. H. Wasserman

|}

{{clear}}

• {{Section link|List of minor planet discoverers|J. L. Elliot}}

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite journal

|last1 = Elliot |first1 = J. L.

|last2 = Dunham |first2 = E.

|last3 = Mink |first3 = D.

|date = May 1977

|title = The rings of Uranus

|journal = Nature

|volume = 267

|issue = 5609

|pages = 328–330

|bibcode = 1977Natur.267..328E

|issn = 0028-0836

|doi = 10.1038/267328a0|s2cid = 4194104

}}

{{cite web

|title = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)

|work = Minor Planet Center

|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html

|date = 20 June 2016

|access-date = 10 August 2016}}

{{cite web

|title = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive

|work = Minor Planet Center

|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html

|access-date = 23 June 2020}}

{{cite web

|title = 95625 (2002 GX32)

|work = Minor Planet Center

|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=95625

|access-date = 13 July 2016}}

{{cite book

|title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3193) Elliot

|last = Schmadel | first = Lutz D.

|publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg

|page = 265

|date = 2007

|isbn = 978-3-540-00238-3

|doi = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3194

|chapter = (3193) Elliot }}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliot, James L.}}

Category:1943 births

Category:2011 deaths

Category:20th-century American astronomers

Category:Cornell University alumni

Category:Cornell University faculty

*

Category:Discoverers of minor planets

Category:Harvard University alumni

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty