Gennadiy Borisov | |||||||||||
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| Born | Gennadiy Vladimirovich Borisov[1] 1962 (age 62–63)[2] | ||||||||||
| Occupations | |||||||||||
| Employer | Sternberg Astronomical Institute | ||||||||||
| Known for | Discovery of2I/Borisov | ||||||||||
| Spouse | Nadezhda Borisova[citation needed] | ||||||||||
| Awards | Edgar Wilson Award (two awards in 2014) | ||||||||||
Observatory MARGO observatory | |||||||||||
| Observatory code | L51 | ||||||||||
| Location | Nauchnyi,Bakhchysarai Raion,Crimea | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 44°43′35″N34°0′45″E / 44.72639°N 34.01250°E /44.72639; 34.01250 | ||||||||||
| Altitude | 574 m (1,883 ft) | ||||||||||
| Established | 2013[3] | ||||||||||
| Telescopes | |||||||||||
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| Designation | Type |
|---|---|
| C/2013 N4 (Borisov) | long-period |
| C/2013 V2 (Borisov) | hyperbolic |
| C/2014 R1 (Borisov) | near-parabolic |
| C/2014 Q3 (Borisov) | Halley-type |
| C/2015 D4 (Borisov) | long-period |
| C/2016 R3 (Borisov) | long-period |
| C/2017 E1 (Borisov) | hyperbolic |
| 2I/Borisov | hyperbolic,interstellar |
| C/2019 V1 (Borisov) | near-parabolic |
| C/2020 Q1 (Borisov) | long-period |
| C/2021 L3 (Borisov) | hyperbolic |
| C/2023 T2 (Borisov) | near-parabolic |
| C/2024 V1 (Borisov) | long-period |
Gennadiy Vladimirovich Borisov (Russian:Генна́дий Влади́мирович Бори́сов; born in 1962 inKramatorsk)[2] is a Crimean[5]telescope maker andamateur astronomer who discovered the first-knowninterstellar comet,2I/Borisov, in 2019.
Borisov works as an engineer at theCrimean Astronomical Station [ru][Note 1] of theSternberg Astronomical Institute ofMoscow State University.[6][7] There, he maintains the telescopes, but does not make observations himself. He also works with Astronomicheskiy Nauchnyy Tsentr JSC, creating experimental telescopes in collaboration withRoscosmos.[8]
Borisov pursues astronomy in his spare time at his personal observatory MARGO located inNauchnyi, in the southern part of the Crimean peninsula. Between 2013 and 2019, he discovered nine comets[4] and severalnear-Earth objects (NEOs) such as2013 TV135.[6] These discoveries were made using telescopes he designed and built himself: GENON (2 comets), GENON Max (5 comets)[8][1] and the HGB-650 0.65 m telescope (2 comets, including 2I/Borisov). In 2014, Borisov received twoEdgar Wilson Awards for his discoveries of C/2013 N4 and C/2013 V2.[9] Borisov also discovered the asteroid2023 BU, another near-Earth object that passed within 4,000 km of the Earth in January 2023. He also observed cometary activity on NEO(523822) 2012 DG61, making it a Near-Earth Comet (NEC). The cometary activity was later independently discovered and confirmed by scientists of theActive Asteroids project.[10]
In early 2019, Borisov completed his new 0.65-meter telescope.[11][6] On August 30, 2019, he used this telescope to discover the first known interstellar comet, 2I/Borisov, which is only the second interstellar object to have been observed.[6][12]
Borisov described his discovery thus:[13]
I observed it on August 29, but it was August 30GMT. I saw a moving object in the frame, it moved in a direction that was slightly different from that ofmain asteroids.[Note 2] I measured its coordinates and consulted theMinor Planet Center database. Turned out, it was a new object. Then I measured the near-Earth object rating,[Note 3] it is calculated from various parameters, and it turned out to be 100% – in other words,dangerous. In such cases I must immediately post the parameters to the world webpage for confirmation of dangerous asteroids.[Note 4] I posted it and wrote that the object was diffuse and that it was not an asteroid, but a comet.
The discovery of 2I/Borisov by Gennadiy Borisov has been compared to the discovery ofPluto byClyde Tombaugh.[8] Tombaugh was also an amateur astronomer who was building his own telescopes, although he discovered Pluto usingLowell Observatory'sastrograph.
On January 21, 2023, Borisov discovered the relatively small asteroid2023 BU, only 5 days before it would pass an initially calculated 9,975 ± 27 km (6,198 ± 17 mi)[citation needed] from the centerpoint of Earth, closer than geostationary satellites but further thanlow Earth orbit satellites.
Borisov thinks that soon amateur astronomers will no longer be able to discover new comets: "In 2016, only I discovered a comet. In 2013, there were seven of us. Every year there are less and less. There are more and more huge telescopes. Amateurs will soon have nothing left."[8]
Authority control databases: Academics |
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