Lyudmila Chernykh facts for kids

Lyudmila Ivanovna Chernykh (born June 13, 1935, in Shuya, died July 28, 2017) was a talented Russian-born Soviet astronomer. She was married to and worked with fellow astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh. Lyudmila was known for finding many minor planets, which are small objects orbiting the Sun.

Discovering Space Objects

Lyudmila Chernykh started her journey in science in 1959. She graduated from the Irkutsk State Pedagogical Institute. From 1959 to 1963, she worked in Irkutsk. There, she performed astrometrical observations. This means she precisely measured the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. These measurements helped with the Time Service, which keeps track of exact time.

In 1964, Lyudmila became a scientist at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy. This institute was part of the USSR Academy of Sciences. She worked at their special observation center. This center was located at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO). It was in the Nauchnyy settlement on the Crimean peninsula.

Lyudmila worked at CrAO until 1998. She became a senior scientist there. She discovered a remarkable 267 minor planets. She found these objects between 1966 and 1992. Some of her discoveries were made with her husband, Nikolai Chernykh. She also worked with another astronomer, Tamara Smirnova.

Special Recognition

An asteroid was named in honor of Lyudmila and her husband. This asteroid is called 2325 Chernykh. It was discovered in 1979 by a Czech astronomer named Antonín Mrkos. Naming an asteroid after someone is a very special way to recognize their contributions to astronomy.

Notable Discoveries

Among the many minor planets Lyudmila discovered, two are especially well-known. One is 2127 Tanya. This asteroid was named after Tanya Savicheva. She was a young Russian girl who kept a diary during a very difficult time in history.

Another important discovery is 2212 Hephaistos. This is a near-Earth object. It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. These asteroids have orbits that bring them close to Earth. Studying them helps scientists understand our solar system better.

See also

In Spanish: Liudmila Chernyj para niños