Jean Mueller (born 1950) is an Americanastronomer and discoverer ofcomets,minor planets, and a large number ofsupernovas at the U.S.Palomar Observatory in California.[1][2]
In 1983, she became the first woman to operate the historicHooker telescope atMt. Wilson Observatory and was the first woman hired as atelescope operator at Palomar Observatory in 1985.
TheSecond Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II) got under way in August 1985, with the first of the 14" photographic glass plates being pulled off the Palomar'sSamuel Oschin telescope (then called the 48-inch Schmidt Camera). Jean Mueller was hired as the48-Inch Night Assistant in July of that year, and worked in the capacity as observer and telescope operator for the duration. She took over 5500photographic plates and had the honor of setting the telescope and removing the final plate from the historicSchmidt Camera on June 3, 2000, as well as discovering her last supernova, 2000cm, on that same night.
Jean Mueller spent hundreds of hours (in her spare time) scanning POSS II plates under high magnification looking for comets, fast-moving asteroids, and supernovae on an X/Y stage that held the 1 mm thick glass plates. Mueller would sometimes mark over a hundred galaxies recorded on a single POSS II plate to hunt for supernova candidates. She would then compare these plates with the firstPalomar Sky Survey (POSS I) of similar fields. It was during the years of the POSS II project that Jean Mueller made all of her discoveries.
| 4257 Ubasti | August 23, 1987 |
| 4558 Janesick[1] | July 12, 1988 |
| 6569 Ondaatje | June 22, 1993 |
| 9162 Kwiila | July 29, 1987 |
| (11028) 1987 UW | October 18, 1987 |
| 11500 Tomaiyowit[2] | October 28, 1989 |
| 12711 Tukmit | January 19, 1991 |
| 16465 Basilrowe | March 24, 1990 |
| 19204 Joshuatree | June 21, 1992 |
| 24658 Misch | October 18, 1987 |
| (360191) 1988 TA[3] | October 5, 1988 |
| (408752) 1991 TB2 | 3 October 1991 |
| (412976) 1987 WC | 21 November 1987 |
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Working atPalomar Observatory, she discovereda total of 15 comets, including 7 periodic comets120P/Mueller, 131P/Mueller,136P/Mueller, 149P/Mueller,173P/Mueller, 188P/LINEAR-Mueller, 190P/Mueller, and 8 non-periodic comets.
She is credited by theMinor Planet Center with the discovery of 13 numbered minor planets during 1987–1993, including severalnear-Earth objects such as theApollo asteroids4257 Ubasti,9162 Kwiila, and12711 Tukmit and theAmor asteroid6569 Ondaatje.[3] Mueller consulted with thePauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians for the naming of 9162 Kwiila, 11500 Tomaiyowit, and 12711 Tukmit whose names honored Luiseño gods.[4]
Mueller also discovered 107 (9 listed as co-discoveries)supernovae.[5]
The inner main-belt asteroid of theHungaria family,4031 Mueller, was named in honor of Jean Mueller for her astronomical discoveries. Discovered on February 12, 1985, byCarolyn Shoemaker at Palomar Observatory with the 18" Schmidt Camera, it was originally designated1985 CL.[1] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 12 December 1989 (M.P.C. 15576).[6]
Jean Mueller is an Advisor of theMeade 4M Community who supports her outreach activities.
